Robin Gilbert Luftig's Blog, page 4

Mother’s Day Dilemma

Picking the perfect Mother���s Day card was always a challenge for me It was my Mother’s Day dilemma.�� I bypassed cards that said, ���You���ve been the best influence ever��� or ���You���re my best friend.����� While these are all beautiful sentiments, they didn’t reflect the relationship I had with my mom.

My mom and I were not close like many mothers and daughters are.�� I loved my mom and know, without a doubt, that she loved me.�� But some of life���s dark twists and turns either derailed us and our relationship or stopped us from having a meaningful relationship at all. Over the years we learned to appreciate one other for who we were. While we may have desired Norman Rockwell-like family moments, we learned to settle for awkward silence; accept what we had as a gift.

Ironically, our relationship grew when we learned not to expect from each other what the other couldn���t give.�� We discovered–then called out–our own expectations.

Expectations

Expectations ~ the human side of��shoulds��or��oughts ~ cause so many relational problems. Expectations can even ruin relationships.�� But Christ���s divine guidance offers standards that set everything right.

Simply put, offer honor.�� Follow God’s expectations, not one another’s.

Apostle Paul says in Ephesians, ���Honor your father and mother��� ~ which is the first commandment with a promise ~ ���so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.��� (6:2-3 NIV)

The love I have for my mom is difficult to explain. But it’s unshakeable.�� It isn���t about cards, flowers, or ooey-gooey sentiments. It’s about my choice to love. God tells me to, and that���s enough of a reason.

On Mother's Day I ponder the love I had for my mother. It is difficult to explain, but without a doubt, it was unshakeable.
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Give it a Try

I am no longer faced with fretting over picking the right card. Mom went home to Glory in 2021. I now find comfort in my memories.

If your mother is still with you and your relationship is less than what you want, Mother���s Day may be difficult. Rest in the knowledge that when we follow God’s word, Life is good. Mother’s Day is good. Dig deep into your memories. Pull up one–just one–happier time. Do what you can to combat a Mother���s Day dilemma.

And do your best to find that perfect Mother���s Day card.

Looking for a Do-Over?

Do you feel like you don���t matter? Are you happy ��� or are you doing what you never thought you���d do? Do you see consistencies ��� or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I���d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book,��God���s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my��Book��page.

First posted May 4, 2022.

The post Mother’s Day Dilemma appeared first on Robin Luftig.

Ladies on a Mission

You’ve asked, so here’s the latest on Ladies on a Mission.

What’s the story?

Life isn’t always as it seems

It’s 1984, and the lives are full for the Ladies of the Fire. Fiona Casey-Boyd still lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio with husband and almost-teen, Sugar-Rose. Lily-Rose Pembrick has been enjoying her empty nest on Norwood Street in Applegate, Ohio since her children returned to Lincoln, Nebraska.�� Sugar Bowersox and her family returned to hometown Trotter, Kentucky so Dungar could be Trotter College���s inaugural head football coach.

But full lives aren’t necessarily lives fulfilled.

When Sugar’s world falls apart in Trotter, she turns to the friends who know her best–the ladies of the fire.

Fiona and Lily-Rose travel to Trotter, Kentucky, to support Sugar, but are shocked by what they find. And Sugar works to keep them in the dark with what has haunted her life for years.

Will Sugar’s past life in Trotter finally catch up with her?

Keep watching

I need to be on the same page with my editor and publisher because they’re the boss, applesauce! But I’m shooting for December 2025!

You've asked, so here's the latest on Ladies on a Mission.
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Where it all began

Ladies of the Fire���Can a woman on the run find herself again?

Ladies of the Fire��brought us to the late 1960s as we met the newly-widowed Lily-Rose Pembrick reeling as she fled Lincoln, Nebraska, with her children. Only taking the cash from the house safe and what she could get her hands on at the family bank, she left the recently-inherited and successful Pembrick Transportation company behind.��Exhausted from driving all night, she stopped in Applegate, Ohio, and decided to start a new life on Norwood Street. There, she met Fiona Kasey, an African-American no-nonsense housekeeper/companion to an elderly white woman, and Sugar Bowersox, a Southern spitfire who has lost herself in motherhood.

Together, they enjoyed Lily-Rose���s backyard fire pit, where dreams were spoken and secrets revealed. As they embraced a kinship they never would have sought, Lily-Rose began thinking her past could finally be laid to rest���until someone ended up dead.

 

Her family has hidden secrets. Will she ever learn the truth?

It���s 1972 and Fiona Kasey-Boyd is living her dream life in Shaker Heights, Ohio but something���s wrong. Married to a wonderful man, eight months pregnant with his child, she���s wracked with sadness. Is she suffering from the baby blues, or is it something darker?

In a quick trip to her home town before the baby arrives, Fiona reconnects with her friends Lily-Rose and Sugar, leaning on them for strength. The three of them search for answers to Fiona���s questions. But they are stonewalled at every turn with evasion and silence.

Only the power of their friendship can help Fiona face the darkness of her family���s secrets���secrets whose answers can heal her heart ��� or shatter it.

The post Ladies on a Mission appeared first on Robin Luftig.

Nothing New Under the Sun

Blogging on Tuesdays is quite purposeful. I don’t share on Mondays, because there are too many new tugs on readers’ time to start that go with the beginning of a new week. By Tuesday, however, most of the dust has settled and the week’s schedule has taken shape. It doesn’t matter if it’s the schedule for a stay-at-home mom or a governmental elected official. It’s the same for everyone. We all have something pressing in us. There’s nothing new under the sun.

There's nothing new under the sun.
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Ponder This

Whether our worlds are filled with joy beyond measure or sorrow unimaginable, all these feelings have been felt before.

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiates 1:9

This truth is not meant to mitigate a person’s emotions in any way. It’s to offer a chorus of celebration for the highs as well as extend solace for the lows.

David Danced Under the Sun

Think back on the most beautiful memory you own. Was it the birth of a child? A wedding day? Graduation? These sensations are so powerful that if you were made to hold them in you might explode!

King David, the man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), showed unashamed joy as he danced when the Ark of the Lord finally entered Jerusalem. Nothing, not even the biting words of his wife Michal shifted his focus on celebrating the LORD (2 Samuel 6:21).

 

David Wept Under the Sun

Yet we also learn from David the depths of sadness. One can weep along with Psalm 51, as he reflects on the prophet Nathan’s rebuke over the death of Uriah and his adultery with Bathsheba.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Psalm 51:10-12

What is Under Your Sun

Are you dancing … or weeping? Oh, friend, if you’re in a season of sorrow or struggling to find purpose, I understand.

And so does God.

Take a break if you must. Tend to your wounds. Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. Accept help from loving friends.

And know without a doubt, that you will experience joy again …

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

… Because there is nothing new under the sun.

What say you?

What do you wonder about?  Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

 

 

The post Nothing New Under the Sun appeared first on Robin Luftig.

The Most Amazing Time

We’re coming up to the Easter season. This is the most amazing time. We celebrate Jesus defeating death. We offer thanks to God because Jesus rose rom the dead, and that we, too, can have eternal life. Let’s pause and think about what we tend to overlook.

While Eight hundred years before Jesus was crucified, Isaiah prophesied that a Messiah would come. Isaiah didn’t know the names of the upcoming players. He couldn’t use the names of Mary, Joseph, or even Jesus. But instead, he used terms like Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Jews who saw Jesus on the cross knew in their heads the Messiah was coming, but their hearts were elsewhere. Crazy, right?

But we do the same thing

We scratch our heads when we think of it. How could they miss it? We can’t fathom how they could be so ignorant (unknowing).

Really?

Look at our own ignorance today. Society celebrates the Easter Bunny, while the greatest gift of all is offered. Many are more involved with the ham and hot-cross buns when the family gets together than the truth of the miracle of the resurrection.

How can this be?

If it wasn’t so sad I’d be angry about it. If I hadn’t been one who had at one time turned my back and concentrated on Peeps and chocolate eggs, I wouldn’t understand.

Can We Call a Mulligan?

How about we call a Mulligan–a do-over.

 “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43:18-19

Let’s start over, right now. Because of Jesus dying on the cross then raising from the dead, we have the luxury to change our future. We may know in our heads that Jesus came to save us all, but let’s continue to ponder on the marvels of Easter before we forget again. Let’s move our thoughts to beliefs during this the most amazing time. It’s not too late to put action to our knowledge and embrace the Good News—a King came to set us free!

It’s the most amazing time and not too late to put action to our knowledge and embrace the Good News
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What say you?

What do you wonder about?  Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

The post The Most Amazing Time appeared first on Robin Luftig.

Does God Cry

Have you ever wondered … does God cry specifically for each of us?

I don’t question that He loves me.  I sang songs about his love when I was a child. Scripture is very plain on that. If there’s a question about that love, reflect on what he did for us all on the cross. But a time came in 2011 when I wondered if God’s love could be singular. Is God’s love personal?

To Understand

To help me understand , I try to see Him as I see others with whom I have relationships.  I think about Him as Jesus–God in the form of Man—so I can look into His eyes and try to understand who I am to God.

Have you ever wondered ... does God cry for you specifically?
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Why ask such a question?

Life started normally on the morning of April 1, 2011. It was Friday and I thanked God for bringing me through another work week. Little did I know while I was thanking God, He was sitting on the edge of his chair, elbows on his knees, his head hanging. He knew that this day would be the day everything would change for me.

I can see him choosing to sit there—just a few moments more. He knew this day needed to come. He knew before I would go to sleep that night, that I would hear news that had the potential to rock my faith to its core.

What He knew

My Heavenly Father knew that April 1 would be the day I’d learn of the tumor on my brain that had the potential of taking my life. He knew that I’d spend ten days facing my mortality. He knew I’d need to revisit all the dark corners of my past and  make sure I had asked for or given forgiveness. I needed to take care of business.

For you, today

Is God pondering over what you’ll face today? Will an unexpected situation try to take you out? While it may be unexpected to you, but know, without a doubt, He’s never not known this day would come for you.

Can you visualize Him? Getting out of bed, stepping into his slippers, and strolling to His kitchen. He knew this wasn’t how He had initially planned to do things. Sin had gotten in the way all those years ago. Because of that sin, all of His children would face paying the costs of sin. He would need to clean up after sin—always cleaning up.

Close your eyes

Envision God fixing His cereal.  Right now He knows what’s waiting for you later today. With each spoonful of cereal, can you see Him pondering on how you will handle what’s coming?  He stops, put his spoon down and rested His arm and forehead on the table.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18

I wonder if God cried for me that day. I write about my view of God’s plan for my life in God’s Best During Your Worst. Be confident that He knows what’s coming for you today as well.

What say you?

What do you wonder about?  Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

 

The post Does God Cry appeared first on Robin Luftig.

When Friendships End

It’s funny how and when things come to mind. While switching over the seasonal clothes in my closet (do others still do that?), a friend from long ago “Bonnie” … (not her real name) came to mind. Back in the day, our lives ran in sync. We were pregnant at the same times, liked the same herb teas, and even went back to college as non-traditional students during the same season in our lives. With everything we did, it seemed were connected at the hip. It was a wonderful friendship. It’s a real heartbreak, then, when friendships end.

What went wrong?

Unfortunately, Bonnie and I also dealt with similar compulsions in our lives at the same time. I filed for divorce to start a new life. I soon began steeping in my dysfunction, not realizing the harm I was causing myself. And as a good (and compulsive) friend, Bonnie came right along. It didn’t take long for her to follow the path I had blazed and she, too, filed for divorce.

Again, she and I were inseparable. We even scheduled our children’s visitation evenings on the same nights so we could go out and enjoy ourselves; paint the town red. Life was our oyster and there was no limit to what was before us. We were two attractive young women looking for attention and enjoying all that we received.

But …

But, as scripture warns, we had enjoyed the “pleasures of sin for a season” but when the season was over our lives began to fall apart. We didn’t recognize that we were spending time with people we never should have met… doing things we never should have done … going places we never should have visited. We were making choices we never should have made.

In the middle of the wallowing in muck and mire that was due to our choices, Bonnie and I severed our friendship. We remained civil with each other, but too many secrets were shared between us. The secrets that once bonded our friendship now carried the potential to do great harm.

Life Moved On

Opportunities led me to relocate from the town where Bonnie and I lived in, and life for me moved on. Years later I found myself on my knees, asking God to take over my mismanaged life. I was humbled and thrilled that his grace had waited for me. From the point, my walk with Christ fills me daily with wonder and awe of how he could love and forgive completely.

I still marvel at God’s grace

A few years ago had the opportunity to return to the area where Bonnie and I lived. Once there, I happened to walk into a fast-food restaurant and saw a young man who I knew immediately had to be Bonnie’s son. His features reflected his parent’s so strikingly that I had to ask if Bonnie was his mother.

Yes, he said, shyly … how did I know her? I vaguely shared how she and I had spent some time together years ago. I gave him my cell phone number and asked him to have his mom call me. I was so excited about having the opportunity to chat with Bonnie. The thought of offering an amend, making it our relationship right, thrilled my heart. I wanted so desperately to share my new life  in Christ with her. We had always been like two peas from the same pod and I knew she would get it, too.

But her return call never came

Her call never came. I thought maybe Bonnie’s son had misplaced my note, so I called her number that I had remembered from long ago. Hearing Bonnie’s recorded voice,  I left my own message asking her to give me a call. I said I had lots to share with her. When I ended the message, I was excited to that I’d soon have the opportunity to tell her of my healing journey.

But again, no call came.

Then it hit me

That’s when reality hit me–she wasn’t going to call.

Just because I had found peace in Christ’s truth didn’t necessarily mean that she had found it, too. I needed to realize that Bonnie had the right to not want to hear my amend; that she had the right not to accept the new and improved me. If she wanted to hang onto her memories of me … that was her right.

Just because I had found peace in truth didn’t necessarily mean that she had found it, too. When friendship ends.

Or maybe she was following Christ and chose to steer clear of chances to be tempted by past sins. Did she see me as an evil reminder?

Both reasons made sense

I have few regrets in my life. I’ve given all the broken parts of my life and watched as he turned it to his glory. But if I had the chance to take anything back … if I could have a do-over … I would fix my relationship with Bonnie. It makes me sad to think that a great friendship ended because of past sins. I miss her still and can only hope she has found the peace in her life as I have found in mine.

But back to my closet and switching out clothes. Seasons … they come and they go.  Another Winter has come to an end and Spring is ready to begin.

Just as it should be.

When Friendships End
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What say you?

What do you wonder about?  Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

The post When Friendships End appeared first on Robin Luftig.

Revisiting Memories

It can be sweet to revisit memories. While some memories are best to stay away from, it’s always sweet to recall when we witnessed God’s hand move. I remember a time in April, 2012 when I was converting my closets from Winter to Summer clothes, I came across some summertime pajamas I had purchased the previous Spring. They weren’t flashy, but the sweet kind of PJ’s you buy with comfort in mind. Pretty, yet functional. Finding them brought a smile to my face.

Pajamas made me smile?

These were the PJ’s I took for my hospital stay in April 2011 after brain surgery. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost fourteen years since everything around me took on a new life of its own. You can the story of my healing after brain surgery in God’s Best During Your Worst.

The first few years after surgery were filled with wonderful gifts and blessings. I don’t know if I would have recognized them as such if it had not been for that fateful night in April.

For example

For example, I’ve always known I have an awesome husband. But Lew was there for me in ways that I could not have anticipated. His faith tested right along with me, and I will forever be grateful to him and his dedication to me and our marriage.

My children were marvelous as they stepped up to the plate of responsibility and attentiveness. There’s nothing as wonderful as seeing your grown children as loving and caring people. Just like you always hope they’d turn into being.

I can’t forget my friends who sent so many cards, calls, and e-mails of best wishes and support. I recently re-read all my notes and once again felt the surge of love from all my well-wishers.

Beliefs are like sponges

Beliefs are like sponges .. they need to be squeezed to see what’s held inside. Truly my beliefs were squeezed—challenged—the Spring of 2011. During those early and frightening days, I had to evaluate if what I believed would be enough to carry me through to whatever happened during the surgery as well as beyond. I had to look dead-on into the eyes of my mortality … I needed to see if I felt the need to turn away from what I saw or if I would be the first to blink.

When revisiting memories of challenging times, you’ll see beliefs can be like sponges. They need to be squeezed to see what’s held inside.

No blinking for me

I won’t say my first year after surgery was easy. In fact, the first five were filled with learning what my new normals would forever be. After months of physical, speech, and occupational therapy, I found what would be my forever-after life. I’ve come to accept that I will always have some weakness and loss of dexterity in my right side. My memory is sketchy. Running up or down stairs is just a memory now. The area on my head where my hair was shaved has filled in and there aren’t the renegade wisps of hair that lived there after being shaved.

What I gained

I can tell you—without a doubt—that I know Who holds my tomorrows. I can also tell you that I have an excited peace knowing that the Creator of the Universe still has a plan for Robin Luftig. I’ve gained a new perspective.

I can see with my mind’s eye that on the day of creation, God stood back, looked at me, His creation, and smiled. He knew what I would experience, and He knew His presence would be pivotal in my healing. He watched over me then just as He continues to watch over me today and my through my tomorrows.

And He watches over you as well.

Life is sweet, even when you think it isn’t. There may be trials in your world today, but they are temporary. Time—along with trials—will pass.

Don’t waste time fretting about the “what could have been’s” in your past. We’re better off hooking our wagons to the “what-is”, remembering who it is that’s holding all of our tomorrows; because honestly … it isn’t us.

Life is sweet, even when you think it isn't. There may be trials in your world today, but they are temporary. Time—along with trials—will pass.
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“… in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 NIV

Do you know …

Do you know anyone facing brain surgery? I encourage you to check out Cristabelle Braden’s website, Hope Survives, where she and her team strive to address the mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of those impacted by brain injury. Their family-focused approach acknowledges that brain injury impacts the entire family, not just the survivor, and creates spaces where each member can find understanding, strength, and hope. Through education, connection, and unwavering support, the Hope Survive team reminds survivors and their families that healing is possible and hope truly survives.

What say you?

What do you wonder about?  Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

The post Revisiting Memories appeared first on Robin Luftig.

My Journey in Healing

I recently learned of the passing of Melody Beattie, an author whose books on codependency started my healing journey. Though her work is secular, she attributed her healing to her relationship with God. The way in which she was transparent in using her own examples of heartache and loss got my attention.

I started with Jesus

I met Jesus while on my knees in a small Northwest Ohio church. But I fell in love with him years later in a church south of Cleveland. If you’ve heard my story, you know bad choices filled my years with hidden brokenness. When my love for Jesus became larger than anything else, life for me began to change.  My heart was ready to heal. I wanted to give everything over to God, but I didn’t know how.

How can it be that my journey in healing and my deep relationship with Christ began with Melody Beattie's bookCodependent No More?
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Back to Beattie

Back in the 90s, I found my way to a 12-step group for codependency (CoDA) and learned how to set boundaries. From there, I went to scripture. There, I was able to take in all of God’s love for me and how I was worthy of his plans for my life. Having the ability to take in his love was an experience I never had in the past. This love led me to be a Christian speaker and author. I reveled in experiencing the joy and peace I had found in my relationship with Christ and through that, the healthy friendships I’ve gained. Through God’s healing hand, my heart was refurbished; it’s been made whole. The healing was all about Jesus, but it didn’t start there. My healing began with another relationship. It began when I picked up a book from Melody Beattie.

A Self-Help Book …

Melody Beattie’s written over a dozen books dealing with codependency. Her first book Codependent No More sold over seven million copies. She shared how she fought her own battles with addiction (alcohol, drugs, and relationships), broken marriages (four), and loss (young son died from a skiing accident), with a beautiful transparency that had the power to reach the most walled-off heart.

For a Christian?

Codependency–losing sight of your own life only to be swept up into the drama of others–can be a trap for many Christians. We love serving others. That’s the model Jesus set for us. This is the place in relationships–how to serve with healthy people–that I needed help. While Jesus instructs us to love and care for one another, he also shows us the importance in setting boundaries in relationships.

On February 27, at 10 pm, my beautiful mother, Melody Beattie, passed away. She died peacefully at home, surrounded by family and loved ones. My mother was never afraid to die. “Why should I be? I’m going to see God, I’ll be reunited with your brother, and I’ll finally get to meet my favorite person, Moses.” 
-NICHOLE BEATTIE

I totally missed the boundary lesson at church. After reading Codependent No More I understood my need to break old patterns, maintain healthy boundaries, and say no to unhealthy relationships. That’s when I finally understood codependency. From there, I was able to see yet another piece of my brokenness. Relief swept over me when I was able to offer my codependency up to Jesus’s healing touch.

Isn’t that sacrilegious?

Because I came to understand the trappings of codependency, I began to see God’s desire to heal that part of my heart. I realized to had the type of relationship with God that I wanted. That’s what I want … a relationship with God. To worship him as he is due. I know I needed to change my focus from fixing everyone’s problems to letting God be the savior to me and others.

“Worrying, obsessing, and controlling are illusions. They are tricks we play on ourselves.”
― Melody Beattie,

Truth began falling in place for me. Only God could heal my heart and the attempts I took–my need to control–only caused me more pain. I realized I needed to let God … be God. Once I accepted I couldn’t control the world around me, I was able to let God’s plan for my life unfold. I could trust that plan, because it was God’s and not mine.

I still struggle

I still struggle with codependency. It’s an addition like any other in that a person is never healed–addictions are only managed.  That means I watch for my triggers. When I see myself reacting instead of responding, I know I need to double my efforts in connecting with God. I do this by leaning into scripture while praying for God’s guidance, wisdom, and peace. And if I don’t hear from my Savior, I enter a period of fasting.

A word of warning

When people turn to self-help books, they need to do it with great caution. Healing only comes from a relationship with Christ. Jesus’s words from John 14:6 (“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”) are still the balm that heals hurting souls. This verse offers a clear and achievable path to freedom and a lifetime of hope and happiness. I will be forever thankful that Jesus rescued me from the darkness of sin from codependency that surrounded me.

If God can use the words of a donkey to speak to Balaam, he can use the words of a heart-broken mother and self-described high school drug and alcohol addict to help others find their path to Christ. Stranger things have happened.

There’s More

Read how God used my own 10-day tragedy to bring me to a peace which transcends all understanding, about the aspects of healing after tragedy. What do you wonder about?  Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

 

The post My Journey in Healing appeared first on Robin Luftig.

Handling Confusion

God’s Best During Your Worst discussing how to deal with Handling Confusion. Here’s an excerpt:

Tragedies have the ability shake our faith if we’re not careful. It’s easy to lose our way when darkness creeps in … it’s easy to slip into a spiritual funk when confused. But the reality is this: being a Christian never guarantees a pain-free life.

We still suffer loss.

No matter how much or how hard you pray, diseases still hit. Storms still wipe out entire communities. People still get shot. Marriages still end. Friends still betray our trust. Life still hurts. At times, it’s all so confusing.

Clarification

Overcoming the funk that accompanies confusion starts with clarifying the situation. This needn’t take a long period of time. It can happen in an instant, or it may take years. But finding clarification is vital.

Using an example of a dying marriage, I would venture to say that problems didn’t begin because one in the couple had a wandering eye. At what point did that marriage stop being a priority to them? When did the attention and opinion of those outside the marriage become more important that one another’s? Asking hard questions in no way excuses the bad behavior, and now is not the time to assign blame. These are simply examples of questions you should ask when looking for clarification. For clarity within confusion.

We also must seek wisdom in our confusion. Proverbs tells us, For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6 NIV). This is a sin-laden world, not at all what God had originally intended for us. When situations go beyond our ability, it’s amazing what He can offer to us through prayers and seeking His wisdom.

Proverbs tells us, For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding
(Proverbs 2:6 NIV).

Seek Wise Counsel

Wise counsel is also vital. Counsel is what we are offered, what we receive from others. It can come through seeking advice from a friend or professional or sometimes it even comes without solicitation. Wise counsel is also found in books. There are myriad of books that offer wise counsel and suggestions on how to pull a marriage out of the weeds. Two of my favorites are Gary Thomas’ Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy? (Zondervan, first edition 2000) and Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate (Northfield Publishing, first edition 1992).

A great example of how tragedy can control everything around you can be found in the book Sober Mercies. It tells the story of Heather Harpham Kopp, an established editor in the Christian literary world—who was a closet drunk. Heather struggled to make sense of life as she tried to control her drinking. Viewing her “it’s just wine” drinking caused her problems when she realized she was hiding wine bottles in her boots in her closet and carrying the tiny bottles in her purse for a quick pick-me-up. It was only after she gave herself over to a Source greater than herself that she found clarity.

It can take outside intervention to break Confusion’s hold. Listen to God’s soft voice. He is speaking to you. Listen to your Knower. Don’t ignore Him.
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Your Knower

Some people describe their Knower as a conscience. Some say it’s the Holy Spirit offering warnings to you. I’ll let you decide. All I can say is that when you hear a voice that tells you to be cautious, it doesn’t hurt to listen and be on your guard.

Your Plans Could Use Some Help

Ever think your plans are better than God’s? How many prayers have you offered that gave a three-point plan on how God was wrong? You see it in the Old Testament. When the oxen carrying the ark stumbled, Uzzah stopped it from falling by reaching out and steadying it. But because he touched the ark—something strictly forbidden by God—he died on the spot. Or Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, when they wanted to glorify God. They chose and offered an ordinary fire—a fire not from the altar to God—in worship, and God’s fire turned and consumed them right there on the spot.

The New Testament’s apostles were forever coming up with better plans than what they thought Jesus had. Peter tried to protect Jesus when a guard came to arrest him. Jesus even labeled John and James as Sons of Thunder. We can see why in Luke 9, when the residents of a Samaritan village did not welcome them, and they asked Jesus, Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and destroy them (v. 54 NIV).

There’s More

That’s just a taste. Read about other aspects of healing after a tragedy. What do you wonder about?  Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

 

The post Handling Confusion appeared first on Robin Luftig.

Lineage List

Do your eyes glaze over when reading Scripture you come to a lineage list? You know … the begets?

Honestly, I get it. For the longest time I struggled to see the relevance. I mean really … this person had a father, then that person had a father, and so on. I understand the heavy-hitter characters and their families listed in Matthew 1. Abraham … Isaac … Jacob. I learned of their relationships with God and how, because of these relationships, impacted the world. From flannel board Bible stories to library research for term paper topics, these families came to life. Because these people were important; these people were real.

But the other begets?

Then I saw the lineage listed in Genesis 10. There, I met Kittim (alternately transliterated as Chittim or Cethim). The son of Javan, the grandson of Japheth, and Noah’s great-grandson.

Initially, I wondered how could I read this chapter and find value in a bunch of names that are too difficult to pronounce, let alone remember?

Where’s the value?

Showing my ignorance, I knew who Noah was, but never paid attention to his offspring. Then, two thoughts came to me.

First…

If I believe the Bible is “God breathed”, and I do,  then I believe God inspired these names to be written down. Not only that, but I reasoned God saw value in each and every one of the men listed.

Huh? No details were given in Genesis 10 about some of these players, as no details were needed. Have you ever heard of Kitty? Me neither. The only thing I can tell you about these fellas is these men were valued by God and had their own purpose. They weren’t perfect. In fact, some of the names listed were the forefathers of some pretty violent tribes (Amorites and Canaanites). But they all were descendants of Noah, a righteous man and valued by God.

Second…

My second thought took me to David Green, my own great-grandfather. He was real, too. He lived, breathed, and loved life. Among his children was a son, Roy, who married and had five children. One of these children was my mother, Janet.

All real people with value and flaws. Just like the folks in Genesis 10.

Many of the names listed in Genesis 10 have faded into oblivion. Many people have never heard of them. But they held an important place in our history.

And God knew them.

“I [God] have engraved you on the palms of my hands ….” Isaiah 49:16

No matter who we are, God has a purpose for our lives. It might look like we’re insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but that’s just not true. We may not see it … we may be one in a long lineage lists–the begets … but God’s master plan would not be complete if we weren’t in it.

When you read Genesis 10, know without a doubt, that they were people and loved by God.

Even Kittim.

We may not see it … we may be one in a long line of begets … but God’s master plan would not be complete if we weren’t in it.
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What say you?

What do you wonder about?  Are you happy with life choices … or are you involved in habits you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies in your actions … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

The post Lineage List appeared first on Robin Luftig.