Every student has one subject that’s always a struggle.  For me it’s math.  Rarely would a math lesson go by that I didn’t need help, but asking for help is not easy.  I quickly learned that for me to ask a teacher for help, they needed three things: #1They had to know the answer.  Let’s face it; some teachers only know what’s in the book and nothing more.  #2 They had to be able to share with me what they know. Some teacher’s know a lot but when they teach, it sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo. #3 They have to want to help you.  Some teachers are so moody you have to catch them on a good day if you have any hope of real assistance.  Regardless of how confused I might have been, unless a teacher has all three of these things, I doubt I’d even bother to raise my hand.

I wonder, would you raise your hand to ask God a question?  Did you know that when you are confused, and need some answers God wants you to go to Him for help?  It’s true. James 1:6 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”  Think about that.  If you need wisdom about anything , ANYTHING, all you have to do is ask God and He will give you wisdom generously. Wow, that’s fantastic, but here’s the next question: why don’t we ask?  Maybe, like me and my math teacher, deep down we’re not sure that asking God for wisdom would really help.  Let’s look at how God stands up to my three things a teacher needs for me to ask for help.

#1 Does God know the answer?  Do you believe that God knows how to handle your parenting problem, your marital problem, your financial problem or your work problem?  Do you believe God has wisdom to give you in all areas of your life or just some?  #2 Does God have a way to share His wisdom with you?  If you ask God for help, will He put people in your life to guide you?  Will He use scriptures, books, songs, sermons, billboards and bumper stickers to give you insight?  Will God meet with you through prayer?  And #3 Does God want to help you?  Does He want to give you wisdom as much when you’ve messed up as when you’re doing good?  Is God really close enough to give specific direction or does He only throw down blessings with no interaction with you?

God knows you and I do not ask for help enough and He knows why.  After the verse where we’re told to ask God for wisdom, James 1:6 says, “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”  Don’t be tossed by the wind and miss the wisdom God is yearning to share with you.  Do you believe God can give you wisdom?  If not, pray for God to find ways to lift your doubts.  But if you do believe, don’t hold back… ASK.

When I was in 7^th grade I went to a new school where my big brother and sister were the only kids I knew.  Is there anything more lonely than being the new kid?  Starting school stressed me out but my mom was extremely confident that I would do just fine.  Of course moms are supposed to say things like that however this time she was right.  I got through the first day, the first week, the first semester and low and behold I had friends.  Mom knew two things I didn’t know. She knew I was prepared to make friends, because in my heart I really wanted friends and she knew that there were other kids prepared to be my friend because they were looking for friends just like me.

Of course, that school was not the last new place I have had to overcome.  I have been to new jobs, new neighborhoods, new churches and new towns.  Maybe you have too.  Even when I feel with certainty that I am moving in a direction the Lord has taken me, each new adventure brings anxiety.  Will I succeed?  Am I prepared?  Has the Lord really gone before me to prepare the way or am I all alone?  Even people of great faith can have times when they feel all alone.  Take Elijah.

Elijah was an Old Testament prophet who the Lord used to do amazing miracles.  I mean “fire raining down from the sky” type of miracles.  Elijah not only saw these miracles but He was the man God used to perform the miracles and yet Elijah went through a time of discouragement. People were trying to kill him, and Elijah was convinced he was the only man left that believed in God.  In 1 Kings 19:10 Elijah even told God “I am the only one left.”  Elijah felt all alone.

What Elijah didn’t know was that God had gone before him.  God had not only prepared other people to support Elijah, He had prepared Elijah to reach out to these other people.  To revive Elijah, the first thing God did was schedule a meeting with him.  He had Elijah come to a mountain and then God came to him in a still small voice.  Yet through all of this, Elijah keeps saying “I am the only one left.”  I imagine God smiling down on Elijah and slowly shaking His head.  So God tells Elijah he’s not the only believer, there’s actually 7000 believers.  And if that’s not enough to lift His isolation, God told him where and who to anoint as the next prophet.  So Elijah anointed Elisha who did not leave his side for the rest of Elijah’s days.

Just like Elijah, God has prepared others to help you on your path and God has prepared you to find them.

You would not believe the frightening noises that come out of my washing machine.  It began with that helicopter noise during the spin cycle. I tried moving the machine away from the wall.  It didn’t help but the clothes were still clean so I ignored the noise.  Then the wash cycle began to sound like an earth mover digging a subbasement in my laundry room.  I tried avoiding the heavy wash setting to cut down on the noise but the clothes were still clean so I moved on.  Let’s face it. There’s no puddle of water, no suds climbing the walls, not smoke and no sparks (that I know of) but really I know a complete breakdown is just a matter time.  At some point when the little fixes don’t work you have to face the reality that something is really wrong.

Relationships are like that. Take in-law relationships. When there’s a problem between a couple and their in-laws the tendency is to try and fix the in-law relationship when the real problem is between the parent and child.  But focusing on the in law relationship is the easy fix like moving my washer away from the wall.  It’s better for a little while but the real problem’s still there.   But in Matthew 5:24 Jesus tells us to “be reconciled to our brothers.”  Jesus doesn’t want us to settle for the easy fix.  He wants us to restore damaged relationships.  That means getting down to the real problem.

Most significant family problems originate in primary relationships like husbands and wives and parents and children.  In-law relationships are secondary relationships.  The friction in a secondary relationship is a symptom of the real problem in a primary relationship.

Think of it this way.  When parents don’t like the person their child has married it probably has to do with the way that person behaves but the real problem is that the child has not only chosen someone the parents would have never chosen but then their child tolerates their spouse’s behavior.  Parent’s think “I raised them to do better than this”.   What’s hard for the parent to see is that on some level the spouse their child picked fills a need and offers their child some level of completion. The parents need to acknowledge the positive things the spouse brings to the marriage even if they don’t understand it..

Likewise, a parent might ignore, belittle or insult the spouse or they find other ways to interfere with the marriage.  The real issue is the child’s need to show the parent they are an adult by telling them the marriage is the priority and the expectation is for them to treat the spouse with respect.  You see spouses don’t change their behaviors in a marriage to please their in-laws.  They change their behaviors to build and nurture the marriage.

Lasting change needs to occur in primary relationships.  Parents and adult children should ask the other to change and spouses should request change of each other.  Trying to change an in-law relationship without looking at the primary relationships is just trying to get rid of the noise by offering a quick fix.  You know you deserve better.  Jesus knows you deserve better too.

Growing up I had the greatest time climbing in this shade tree in the front yard. I’d do all sorts of things up there. I’d play house with my sister or read a good book or just hide in the branches so the people coming by couldn’t see me. I suppose if you stayed in the tree long enough you could get really good at balancing on those branches. But no matter how much fun you’re having, somewhere in the back of your mind there would always be the fear of falling. I guess the trick is keeping your balance.

Life can be a balancing act. Each of us live each day just trying to get things done but some people have things that make their life more of a balancing act. In addition to coping with the normal stress in life you may also be struggling with wanting too much of something in your life like food or alcohol or shopping or prescriptions. As you go through your day picking up the groceries and pumping gas in the car, a part of your brain is working to figure out how to work another drink, another shopping trip or another pill into your day without anyone else knowing.

Maybe your balancing act is not about excessive things but about excessive thoughts. Maybe your drive into work is filled with thoughts of worry, for things beyond your control or does your mind fill with the harsh stuff like bitterness, jealousy and anger? Whether it’s excessive things or excessive thoughts, dealing with these burdens plus the regular chores of living your life can be quite a balancing act. The problem is that like climbing trees, after you do it for a while you lose the fear of falling. And if you’re not afraid of falling, how bad can it really be?

The apostle Paul was worried about people thinking they had it all under control when they really didn’t. In 1 Corinthians 10:12 he said “… if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” You see battling temptation is hard enough when you see it coming but how do you battle something you’re busy ignoring? It’s like living your life balancing on tree limbs. You can do it for a while but at some point, odds are, you’re going to fall. How? by hurting yourself or someone you love.

What gets in the way of us seeing the temptations in our lives? We cover them up with thoughts like “I’m not that bad. I know people that shop more, eat more, and live with more jealousy or anger than I ever have.” OR “I know I shouldn’t live with this bitterness or drinking “thing” but it’s not affecting my work or my family.” OR “This is just not that bad– certainly nothing God would be upset with.”

The worst thing you can do is think you’re standing firm when really the branch beneath your feet is starting to crack. Let God’s word show you how to plant your feet firmly on the ground. Believe me it’s much better than waiting to hear the branch suddenly crack.

To share your comments on this article or to read other God Is BIGGER Than blog entries CLICK HERE or go to  http://ktripp.com/blog.

I would love to write a song.  Since I cannot read music, I sing like a wounded animal and I limit my musical instrument skills to the kazoo, I’m pretty confident that’s not going to happen.  But wouldn’t it be cool with nothing but a blank sheet of paper and a musical instrument to create something amazing out of nothing.  Out of all of the zillion of combinations of notes, chords and rhythms you actually create something that inspires, elates, motivates or soothes another person’s soul. Of course in doing that you would have to share something of yourself.  A songwriter can’t create without something of themself slipping out.  Each choice they make reveals to all that listen something about the songwriter. As a music fan, I don’t really understand how they do it; I just sit back and enjoy the wonder of their work.

In many ways God is like a songwriter.  He started with nothing and created a limitless number of wonders in the world around us. I know I said songwriters started with nothing but at least they had notes and chords.  When God created the earth not only did he decide that the sky would be blue, He had to create blue.  Just thinking of that makes my head hurt.  He created a world full of beauty and majesty.  But why?  Why did He bother?  Why not make the world black and white?  Surely it would have simplified things for Him.  Kind of like a musician composing hundreds of songs but only using 2 notes.  How hard can that be?  But remember what I said about how a songwriter can’t write a song without sharing themselves.  Our God is not a black and white God.

Our God reveals Himself through the Technicolor spectacular that we call creation.  When He made the tips of the waves foamy and the scent of fresh bread irresistible, He told us a little about Himself. And when He made fallen leaves crackle under our feet and kittens feel warm in your lap, He gave us a glimpse of who He is.  Can you imagine what He was telling you when He made sunsets and water falls and baby toes?  Man, I love baby toes.  It’s like each magical splendor in His creation God is saying “Look at this and see ME!”

Because you see the real gift of creation is not the peace and joy we feel when we let ourselves soak up the beauty around us.  The real gift of creation is God reaching out to you to share who He is.  Perhaps Psalms 36 says it best: Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.

Just look around.  The sunset shows He’s glorious, the waterfall shows He’s thrilling and the baby toes show He loves cute stuff just like the next guy.  See! God’s showing off who He is every day and in every way.

Everybody has their favorite Christmas reruns.  Maybe yours are those animated shows like Rudolph or Charlie Brown.  I like the old movies like It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas.  It’s weird that I can watch these same shows year after year not only knowing what’s going to happen next but many times recite whole portions of the show line for line.  Each Christmas as I watch the same reruns I have seen for years there’s a comfort that comes from knowing what’s coming next.

Television and DVD technology may provided the comfort of familiarity into our Christmas celebration but you know the first Christmas wasn’t like that at all.  Take the shepherds.  Now there’s a lesson of how life can go from ordinary to extraordinary in a flash.  Mary and Joseph, even the Wisemen knew the Messiah was coming but not the shepherds.  They were just busy minding their own business, doing their job and bringing home the paycheck much like you and me. Luke 2:8 says “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.”  To me that’s like saying “And Bob was sitting at his desk checking email” or “And Susan was standing in the kitchen cooking dinner”  Like watching a Christmas show rerun, the shepherds were in a place in their life where they thought they could predict what was going to happen next.  They were just doing ordinary things when something extraordinary happened.

Luke 2:9 tells us “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.”  Can you imagine?  You’re sitting in your ordinary life when all the sudden an angel shows up and the glory of the Lords shines around you so much you are scared out of your mind.  I’d say that would totally blow up your ordinary life and catapult you into the EXTRA-ordinary.  But the whole angel, glory of the Lord thing was just the beginning of the shepherds trek into the bizarre.  Then the angel tells them “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”  Think of that.  A Savior has been born to you too.  That’s what Christmas is all about.  As you are living your ordinary life checking emails and cooking dinner, a Savior has been born to you. Think of how extraordinary that is.

With a Savior, your life no longer needs to be filled with pressure that you have to make everything all right.  Jesus came to let you know you are all right with Him and everything else is details.  Really.  Facing the list of things to do, problems to solve and people to care for looks totally different when you first rest in the assurance that you and Jesus are doing alright.

Don’t let this Christmas be a rerun of predictable routines and expectations. Like the shepherds, rejoice that you not only have Jesus as your Savior but that He’s come so you may live knowing He thinks you’re alright.  Then you’ll see that Christmas means living in the unpredictable with Christ and loving it!  Merry Christmas!

There is something magical about a White Christmas.  Maybe it’s those special snow filled Christmas Morning activities like trying out brand new sleds, or building snowmen that make a White Christmas so coveted.  Many places are pretty much guarantee a white Christmas but not my hometown—St Louis.  We’re kind of in that place where sometimes we might get buckets of snow in December and arrive with beautiful layers of snow on the 25th or we’re just as likely to spend the whole month of December with nothing more than a few flurries.  It sure would be nice to be able to make this Christmas be white.  But I guess thinking I can make it snow whenever I want is kind of ridiculous.

To be honest, Christmas has the tendency to make me think I should try to do a lot of ridiculous things.  I should make sure that every present I give is special and heartwarming.  I should make sure that throughout the holidays I cook every person in the family their favorite dish.  I should make sure I stay rested and the kids stay healthy.  I should make my husband stop working long enough to enjoy the holidays.  See what I mean?  Kind of ridiculous.

Let’s face it, I have as much chance of pulling any of this off as waving my arms and giving St Louis a white Christmas.  So what’s my problem?  Why do the holidays make me want to suddenly be in control of the uncontrollable?  It’s simple really.  I want everyone I love to be joy filled this Christmas. Have you ever gotten so carried away trying to make Christmas “perfect” that you totally missed the Christmas joy for yourself as well as for those around you?

But what if Christmas joy is not something that can be planned, orchestrated or delegated?  What if the joy of Christmas did not rely on what you do but on what Christ can do?  In Luke 2:10 when the angels say “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”–the good news was not that the present you want to get for your husband is 50% off.  The good news is not that the turkey was cooked to perfection or that your mother-in-law thought your Christmas tree was spectacular.  That may all be good news but the REALLY GOOD NEWS is that “in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”

At some point every December, I need a good head thump to remind me to quit trying to make Christmas special for everyone else.  Instead of trying to accomplish the ridiculous, join me to stop and drink in the good news that a Savior has been born; and He is Christ the Lord!  There is no amount of snow or presents or food that can bring the joy of Christmas into the lives of those you love.  They can get their joy from Christ just like you.  So let the joy of Christmas live in you…then for you this Christmas, who knows?  Maybe the Lord will decide to do something really ridiculous.

My first job in Chicago was at an agency up near the Wisconsin/Illinois border.  That meant after 27 years of living in Florida, I found myself trekking up a two lane country road early one wintery morning to go to work.   At the end of my day, I wiped off the snow on my car only to find a layer of ice clinging to my windshield. After diligently scraping the windshield I motored off towards home only to find the ice had also stuck to the roadways.  Having never driven on ice before, I crept down the back road until I hit a stretch of road that ran between miles of barren fields.  There I saw for the first time in my life snow drifts as big as houses beginning to cover the road.  I distinctly remember thinking “I can’t be living in a place that has giant snow drifts.  I’m from Florida!”  I felt like I had mysteriously landed in someone else’s’ life.  Maybe the hardest part of a journey isn’t always the first step; it’s just continuing to take the next step.

I wonder if Mary, Jesus’ mom ever found it hard to take the next step?  When the angel Gabriel visits her, Mary seems pretty confident.  After hearing  she’s to be the Mother of the Messiah,  Mary’s a little frightened and confused , but  eventually she says “I am the Lord’s servant.  May it be to me as you have said.”  Such confidence, such faith.

But what about 9 months later when Mary is sitting on that donkey, knowing  that baby’s coming no matter what  and the inn keeper says there’s no rooms available?  This is after her cross country donkey trek, her village bad mouthing her because she was an unwed mother and her fiancé almost disowning her.  Did she wonder if she’d done something wrong?  Maybe she thought she took a wrong turn somewhere.  Surely it was hard to see her current circumstances as part of God’s plan.

It’s like lying in your marriage bed trying to remember the last time you and your spouse talked about anything other than events to attend, or chores to be done.  Do you wonder if your marriage ended up in the wrong place?  Or sitting in the counselor’s office talking about your worries and frustrations with your child that you dearly love.  Is this the place God intended you to arrive?  Difficult circumstances can make it harder to see God but he’s there.  Trust me, He’s there.

Mary had plenty of negative circumstances that would tempt the average person to believe God had abandoned her, but not Mary.  It was said of Mary in Luke 1:45 “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”   Mary didn’t just believe on the day Gabriel showed up.  She believed enough to take each difficult step along the way.  There are no wrong places in your life where God is not with you.  Just look towards Him and go ahead,–take the next step.

God is Bigger Than… Running Out of Gas

You know that little dinging noise that cars make as they’re running low on gas?  They put that feature on cars for people like me.  A few weeks ago I borrowed my son’s 1995 red T-top Camaro.  The car’s a sweet ride but there’s no little dinging noise for absent minded people like me.  So I ran out of gas.  Total failure.  But do you know what my husband said when I called him from the side of the road?  He said “Sure, I’ll come get you.  How often do I get to come rescue my damsel in distress?” He was so precious, maybe I didn’t totally fail after all.

If you think about it, most of us spend a lot of energy trying not to fail.  We set goals, make plans and devise strategies all to avoid failure.  But who are we to say what failure really is?  Do you ever  wonder what Jesus calls failure?

In Matthew 25 Jesus told a story of a man who was went on a journey but entrusted three servants with some of His money.  The first servant was given 5 coins.  He put them to work for the Master and made 5  more coins.  The second servant was given 2 coins.  He put them to work for the master and made 2 coins.  The last servant, frightened of failure, buried the coin he was given in the ground.

When the master returned he was so thrilled with servant number one and two that He gave them promotions  and called them good and faithful servants.  But the last servant he called a “wicked lazy servant”.  The only one that failed is the one that did nothing.

In this story, the Master is God and the servant are believers like you and me that have been blessed by God with gifts.  When I hear this story, I relate to servant number two.  He’s the guy that was given some gifts to do some things for the Lord but instead of feeling like a good and faithful servant, I’d be looking at servant #1 thinking I could have done more.  Maybe you can relate.  For me, the problem begins when I look at myself and only see what I haven’t done instead of acknowledging what I’ve already accomplished.  Basically, I start feeling like a disappointment or- dare I say it?… a failure.

But was the master disappointed in servant #2?  Of course not.  He gave servant number two a promotion and a new title: Good and Faithful Servant.  How cool is that?  The only failure in the story is servant that did nothing. Servant number two was a success because he used the gifts God gave him.  Do you use your abilities to do an honest day’s work? Do you try to treat others with respect and charity? Do you care for your family with love and concern?  Then you’re not burying your gifts from God in the dirt, you’re using them to work for the Lord.  Just because you’re pulling in two coins instead of five doesn’t mean you’re not a success.  Stop waiting to be a success.  Each time you use your gifts for the Lord you succeed.  Look at your accomplishments through the eyes of God.  Listen to Him say to you “Well done good and faithful servant!”

What is it about grocery stores?  Sometimes I feel like I spend my life there.   I run to the store just to pick up a few things and a day later, an hour later, I’m thinking of the things I forgot to buy.  While I’m shopping I see things I know I’ll need but I think “I should already have that at home.”  But when I get home and check the pantry for the ingredient, I find I’m all out or at the least, I don’t have as much as I need.  I know taking the time to check the pantry and make a shopping list  would have been smart instead of assuming I had all the ingredients I needed.  You would think by now I would have figured out that you can’t get everything you need if you assume you already have it all.

Approaching a grocery store not admitting what you need can lead to frustration.  Approaching the Lord not admitting what you need can lead to misery.  I’m amazed at how many people with strong prayer lives omit all sorts of things they should be praying for just because they don’t think they need God’s help.

Think about that early morning time when you’re going over in your head what’s coming up in your day.   Are you exhausted thinking about all that needs to be done? Sounds like you could use some strength.  Are you dreading your 2:00 meeting?  Maybe some peace would help.  Are you worried about a possible confrontation on the horizon or are you facing a financial, or health decision?  A little heavenly guidance might be just the thing.  Are you facing a day of trying to not eat too much, drink too much, shop too much or work too much?  Why would you think you should be able to handle any of this without God?

I don’t know about you but for me there’s this proud voice inside of me whispering…”I should be able to handle this.”  On the surface this sounds like good old fashion self-reliance. Self-reliance can be a good thing but should we be self-reliant with God?  Psalms 32:8 says “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”  You will notice that nowhere does God say you should handle anything, ANYTHING without Him.

When you admit to the Lord what you need, your self-reliance moves to the side so you can hear the guidance He hungers to share with you.  Let God instruct you in the way you should go.  Let Him counsel you and watch over you.  Do you honestly think God hears your prayer and thinks “Really?  You want my help with that?  Surely you can handle this one by yourself.”  NO.  God always wants to help.  Don’t let your prayer life become a series of quickly dropping in to get a couple things you need.  There is nothing the Lord wants you to do, and no where He wants you to go without His help.  Amen