Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 76

Stuck

Tears spilled from the corners of my eyes and rolled past my temples and into my ears. I was lying across three airplane seats trying to be brave and failing miserably. 

For 11 days I’d visited with my daughter in Japan. Every day held new adventures, and it was a joy to spend time with her after six months of separation. Every few days I’d check in with my family back home, but it was a Facebook post that first alerted me to the danger that was brewing in South Carolina. 


A strong low-pressure front, colliding with warm, moist air from an offshore hurricane was combining to form the perfect storm—headed toward my home state. As the storm worsened, I began to see pictures and videos of the devastation caused by over 20 inches of rain—more than had ever fallen in our city in a two-day period. 

My heart sank as I recognized a washed out bridge on a road I travel every day. I saw homes in nearby neighborhoods surrounded by acres of water as high as their rooftops. Images of people trapped in rapidly rising floodwaters just around the corner from my home made my stomach clench. 

Tapping out Facebook messages, I checked in with my daughter, pregnant with our second granddaughter and only two weeks away from her due date. A second message to my husband reassured me that our home was withstanding the flood. A final check confirmed that my mom and dad, who lived high on a hill outside the city, had hunkered down to wait out the storm. 

Grateful, I hugged my daughter goodbye at the airport and set my face toward home. Will I be able to fly into Columbia? I wondered. Will I have to spend the night in Chicago, where my connecting flight originates? If I make it to Columbia, will someone be able to pick me up at the airport? 

I anticipated trouble on the backside, but I never dreamed I’d get stuck in Tokyo. Yet here I sat, eyes trained on the ceiling and ears filling up with silent, not-so-brave tears, while maintenance men dismantled the control panel on the airplane. 

You may not be trapped in an airport in Tokyo or watching your hometown drown, but I bet you’ve been stuck before. You may be stuck right now—hedged in by circumstances beyond your control and unable to move forward. As believers, how do we handle it when we’re stuck? 

1. We cry. 

It’s OK. We’re human, and we’re frail. To pretend to be otherwise is useless and counterproductive. Disappointment and frustration need an outlet, and crying helps, even if we do it silently, staring at an airplane ceiling. Tears are OK as long as we don’t wallow in them. 

2. We count our blessings. 

Releasing frustration and disappointment makes room for gratitude. In every situation, we can always see evidence of God’s care for us if we look. Blotting the tears from my ears, my thoughts turned to what I had to be thankful for. Thank you, God, the plane didn’t malfunction in the air. Thank you that I have three seats to myself to stretch out on. Thank you that I have a home to come home to, and loved ones awaiting my arrival. 

3. We pray. 

Being stuck helps us recognize we don’t control everything. It reminds us we need God’s help, guidance, and provision. It humbles us and teaches us to trust. 

4. We watch for God’s deliverance. 

Never accept the “facts.” When a situation seems hopeless, the time is ripe for God to miraculously intervene. Nothing is too hard for God. Nothing. Remember what happened when Moses and the children of Israel were trapped between the floodwaters of the Nile and the imposing Egyptian army?  

“Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today,” (Ex. 14:13). 

Don’t think because you cannot see the way of escape that God isn’t able to provide it. 

5. We trust when our rescue is long in coming. 

Jeremiah is a stalwart example of hope and trust. Listen to his words: 

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 
I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ 
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD,” 
(Lam. 3:21-26). 

As my travel adventure unfolded, I saw God at work everywhere I landed. 

My planes arrived safely in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, DC, and then home. As I waited for my flight to D.C., I stood close to a television broadcasting the morning news. Images from Columbia splashed themselves across the screen like a Titanic rerun. 

“That’s my hometown,” I sighed, to no one in particular. 

The woman standing next to me, her eyes also transfixed by the images, responded, “I’m headed there.” 

Turns out she works for FEMA and is part of the emergency response team. She was on her way home from working the wildfires in California, got the alert for South Carolina, and changed her destination to Columbia. As we waited, she plied me with questions about the layout of the city, what I knew about the damage, and how best to reach the command center. 

“I’ll be glad to take you there,” I said. 

When we arrived in D.C., an airport employee, hearing that I was trying to get home to Columbia, offered to switch my flight to an earlier one that had been delayed and was just preparing to board.

“Do you have two seats?” I asked, explaining my new found friend’s mission. With a few clicks of the mouse, she had both of us on the flight. 


“Don’t worry,” my FEMA friend said as we hugged goodbye. “We’re going to take care of y’all.” 

“I’ll be praying for you,” I replied. “Thank you for coming.” 

If you’re feeling stuck today, I’d like to remind you that even when you can’t see God’s hand and nothing seems to be happening, God is at work. Pray, trust, wait, and you will see the deliverance of the Lord. 

And when you do, be sure to thank him. And tell others, so they can learn to trust him, too.


I'm so excited to be the keynote speaker tomorrow night at Lawtonville Baptist Church's fundraiser for NAMiss South Carolina, Maryanna Hatcher (no relation). She'll be representing our state in the national competition in Anaheim, California next month. 

If you're in the area, why not join us for a great meal, wonderful fellowship, and a message about how to conquer the chaos that threatens to overwhelm us? Contact Niki at 706-951-2426 for more information.





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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

What's It Like In Columbia? South Carolina's 1,000-Year Flood

I live in Forest Acres, the epicenter of what newsmen are now calling “The Thousand Year Flood.” Over a two-day period, more than 15 inches of rain, 6 trillion gallons of water, poured into our city, causing rivers, creeks, lakes, and ponds to overflow, dams to break, and roads and bridges to collapse. Rushing water swept away cars, boats, businesses, houses, and, most tragically, people. 

South Carolina has suffered losses totaling in the billions, and parts of our infrastructure are crippled. Some residents are completely without water, and the rest of us are under a Boil Water Advisory for the forseable future. 

But before I continue painting the picture of Forest Acres, let me gratefully acknowledge that my family and my home were spared. 

Now look at Forest Acres through my windshield:

As I drive to work, every major route out of my neighborhood save one is closed. Bridges have collapsed. Roads have washed away. Dangerous water still covers some roadways, and rushing streams and rivers make passage hazardous. Barricades block almost every major intersection. Five railroad employees crossed one of the barricades two nights ago and plunged into raging water when the road disappeared. Three men swam to safety. Two men drowned. 

I drive over a bridge that has miraculously withstood the storm. The water rushes beneath me carrying a lampshade, a cooler, and someone’s kitchen chair. Every year South Carolina has a 43-mile yard sale where sellers from all over the state set their wares along the sides of the road. As I drive down Kilbourne Road, it looks like the yard sale has come to Columbia. The entire contents of people’s homes are piled in the street. There are no smiling sellers offering bargains, however. Instead there are friends and neighbors with masks on their faces depositing armloads of possessions in soggy, molding heaps. Their masks protect their lungs but cannot hide their tears. 


A friend’s home three neighborhoods over was spared—an island in an underwater cul de sac. He and others manned powerboats to rescue their neighbors—the special needs women whose group home had always been a haven, an elderly woman clasping photos of her grandchildren, and the young lawyer and his 14-year-old son. But not their dog-the floodwaters rose too quickly. 

Five thousand national guardsmen are flooding the state. A Samaritan’s Purse rescue trailer sits in the parking lot of a church. Community training for flood remediation begins tomorrow as the churchs' gyms fill with donated water, diapers, and other necessities. 

Military police in their olive drab sit at strategic intersections, and Red Cross Disaster Team trucks rumble past giant dump trucks scooping piles of waterlogged debris from the sidewalks. Helicopters circle overhead, dropping one-ton sandbags in strategic spots near fragile dams still threatening to burst. Friends who shared meals around the table hug in yards where their homes once stood. 

There are stories of profound loss—an elderly friend whose wife suffers from Alzheimer’s surveys the basement pond where high school memorabilia, baby albums, and love letters float like lily pads. “We’re blessed,” he says. “She doesn’t even know they’re gone.” 

There are also stories of profound rescues—an 87-year-old man and his dog pulled from a car by a family who refused to let them drown. A grandmother, on her way to church, whose car is swept from the road and into another church’s parking lot. Nine-eleven didn’t answer so she called her grandson. Wrenching the door open, he freed her from the car and watched in horror as the swiftly moving water carried it away. They waited for rescuers, holding on to a bright red cross on the church property. 

"Where my car stopped was right behind a huge red cross,” Clara Gantt told WISTV. “I was literally, after I got out of the car, holding on the cross. I was clinging to the cross.” 

And there are stories of profound hope. A community rallying around its own. Strangers showing up on damp doorsteps to lend a hand. Collection points overflowing with donations. Prayers and financial contributions from around the world. 

Nineteen souls have lost their lives in the floods, and we mourn their passing. Hundreds of thousands of souls have been spared, and we are grateful. 

“But now, this is what the LORD says--: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you’” (Isaiah 43:1). 

And yes, this week the sun came out again. 

As Tuesday dawned bright and clear, meteorologist Tim Miller expressed what was on everybody’s heart: “Wow,” he said, in a voice thick with emotion, “well how about that--sunshine. That's amazing.” 

Washington Irving captured what the citizens of South Carolina know: 

"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not a mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love."

If you’d like to help with South Carolina’s relief efforts in the wake of the Thousand Year floods, please consider donating to the following agencies who are providing help and resources:

Samaritan’s Purse

Red Cross Disaster Relief






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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

What Disc Golf and Life Have in Common

I did something recently I’ve never done before—I played disc golf.

Disc golf is my husband’s new favorite sport. It gets him off the couch into the sunshine and air and provides a fun way to exercise. It also helps him build relationships with other men through friendly competition.

The game of disc golf is similar to traditional golf, only instead of using a ball and clubs, you play with a disc that looks like a sophisticated Frisbee. Instead of hitting a ball into a hole in the ground, you fling a disc into a basket made of chains. The trick is that these baskets are 300-400 feet apart, scattered throughout the woods, with lots of obstacles to throw around.

My husband and I were on a weekend getaway in the mountains (far from his regular disc golf course AND his regular golfing buddies) when he discovered a nearby disc golf course. Not surprisingly, he wanted to check it out.

“Would you like to play with me?” he asked, turning hopeful, beseeching eyes upon me.

“OK,” I said hesitantly, remembering a lesson in our latest marriage Bible study that said couples with healthy marriages try new things together.

So off we went.

A well-designed disc golf course has tees that are clearly marked with signs that tell you where the basket is, how far away, and what par it is. This course, a simple one at an elementary school, had “natural” tees. They must have been VERY natural, because they blended in so well with all the nature around us that we never saw most of them.

Instead of having a clear starting point, we had to guess. Instead of knowing how long the drive was, we had to guess at that too. Sometimes, we weren’t even sure where the basket was. We had to scour the property until we stumbled upon a basket with the correct number on it. Scoring was impossible, because without knowing what par was, we didn’t know if we’d hit the basket in fewer strokes than most, more than others, or if we were average.

Thankfully, since I was a rookie and not very good at throwing the discs or hitting the baskets, I wasn’t troubled that there was no measurable standard against which I could log my performance. My husband, however, is a serious player who wanted to know for sure how he measured up. He found the course very frustrating.

The next day we tried another course. This one was well marked with bright blue tees. At every hole there was a sign that told us how long the shot was, what was the par, and where the basket was. To make things even simpler, the rec center provided a detailed map showing where all 18 holes and their tees were.



It was a delightful experience. My husband and I knew what was expected of us, what the course rules were, and how to successfully play the game.

It occurred to me that many people play with their eternal destiny much like my husband and I played that first disc golf course.

They wander through life with no clear direction. They measure their performance by their own standards, or perhaps compare themselves with someone who’s worse than they. They guess at what might please God and occasionally stumble on something that seems right. If they’re honest with themselves, they admit that they are frustrated and uncertain.

And when we’re talking about where we’ll spend eternity, no one should be frustrated and uncertain. 

I'm glad God tells us in his Word, “These things have I written . . . that you may know that you have eternal life . . .” (1 John 5:13). We don’t have to guess. Like the second course on which we played,

God provides a map to help us navigate life. It’s called the Bible.

He’s provided a way for us to spend eternity in heaven. It’s called salvation.

And he’s provided the power to live the best life possible here on earth. It’s called the Holy Spirit.


If you feel like you’re wandering through life unsuccessfully chasing a standard you can never attain, I can relate. And if you’re wondering where you’ll spend eternity after you die, I’d love to share what someone shared with me many years ago. It changed my life, and it can change your life, too. Please CLICK HERE to go to the page, How to Know God.

Or CLICK HERE to listen to my story on YouTube.

If you already have a relationship with God, why not share this post with someone you love who is struggling?







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Occasionally a disc gets stuck in a tree. Guess who has to get it out?
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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

When You Wonder if Christianity Is Real

Perhaps I’m the only one who has struggled this way, but I suspect not.

Have you ever wondered if Christianity is real? If the events on which we’re staking our eternal destiny are true? In the dark night of the soul, have you ever wondered if Christians down through the ages have all been deceived, and you’re one of the gullible? Or maybe you suspect Christianity might be a fairy tale, like the educated people who are too enlightened to believe in God often tell us. Have you ever questioned whether Christianity is any different than any other religion, and who’s to say our way is any better?

Maybe that little worm of doubt has never wiggled deep inside of you. Perhaps your faith has always marched in a straight line ever upward since the moment of your conversion. Maybe your trust has never wavered, and your commitment has always been strong. God bless you.

But if you’re honest, I suspect you have to admit that every now and then you wonder. 

I do, too. 

There are many excellent books on the inerrancy of Scripture, proof of the resurrection, archaeological discoveries that support the Bible, and defenses of the faith. I’ve read many, and they’ve reinforced the reasons I believe in Christ. I’m not going to share them today, although if you’re interested, start with Josh McDowell’s bazillion books on apologetics.

What I want to invite you to think about today is this:

What do you think it will be like when we stand before God and know—not hope, not think—but KNOW, deep down in the depths of our souls, that everything we’ve believed is TRUE? When we see Jesus face to face, look deep into his eyes, feel his mighty arms wrap around our shaking bodies, and KNOW he is real? When we look around and see every believing loved one we’ve buried in the ground smiling and laughing and more alive than they’ve ever been?

What will be like when we realize that every gut-wrenching trial, every heartbreaking loss, and every cruel hurt we experienced as Christians had an eternal purpose and nothing was wasted? When we gaze with wide eyes at the splendor of heaven—the golden gates, the River of Life, and God Almighty’s throne—and know it is just as real as the wood, hay, and stubble we’ve left behind? And what will it be like when we realize the struggle is over—forever? No more sickness. No more pain. No more dying.

In Isaiah 25 I caught a glimpse of what that great and glorious day will look like. Listen to the prophet’s words:

“On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.

“On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. 

“The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.”

Can you picture it?

As we gaze at the Lord Almighty against the stunning backdrop of heaven, surrounded by the apostles, the patriarchs, the heroes of the faith, and everyone who has ever placed his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we will realize, THIS IS REAL. It’s not a dream. It’s not a hope. It’s not a fairy tale. It’s REAL. 

A cry will well up from the depths of our grateful hearts as we point to our Savior and utter Isaiah’s prophetical words—“THIS IS OUR GOD! WE TRUSTED IN HIM, AND HE SAVED US!”

Yes!

YES!

YESSSSSSS!

This is my favorite part of all—the part where faith becomes sight and believers receive the object of their faith, fist pumping up and down heaven’s streets. I can only imagine. . .

I believe God gives us glimpses of Heaven, like Isaiah shared with us in chapter 25, so we will not grow weary or lose heart.

God is real. Jesus did die and rose again. And one day we will spend eternity with him in heaven.

When the doubts loom large, comfort one another with these words.





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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

A Perspective from 34,000 Feet

Did you know the outside air temperature is -78° at 34,000 feet? Or that it’s possible to convince a planeload of people that it’s nighttime in the middle of the day simply by turning out the lights and closing the blinds? 

Did you know that thrifty, normally rational people will pay $2.64 for a 2-ounce bag of M&Ms in an airport when they’d scoff at the idea anywhere else? And that people only feel the urge to go to the bathroom when the Fasten Seatbelts sign is on?

I’m not a world traveler. I’m like the lady behind me in line who, when asked if she was a Preferred Access customer, replied, “No, I’m just an ordinary person.” I’ve spent most of my life within a 25-mile radius of my house, but occasionally, when life calls me to an adventure far from my home sweet home, I go. 

Such was the case recently. 


I was seated on a plane that holds four times more people than our church sanctuary, roughly 350 people. I’d flown almost 2,800 miles and had 4,285 more to go. I’d eaten dinner out of a cardboard box, gone to the bathroom in a room the size of a broom closet, and taken a nap in the middle of the afternoon for the first time since I had the flu. 

There were three of us strapped into an area the size of the backseat of my Toyota Corolla, and nobody was fighting. Alaska was on the horizon, and the East Coast was just a memory. 

The sky was the color of dust bunnies when I boarded the plane. Heavy clouds hung low, spritzing me with moisture. As the plane approached the runway, raindrops made tiny vertical streams on the window. Just before takeoff, the streams leveled out, slinging the silver trails sideways until the wind whisked them away. The misty cloud bank surrounded our plane like a thick sheet of lint pulled from the dryer compartment. 



We began to climb, and brilliant sunshine pierced the shroud and streamed through the windows. Squinting, I groped for the sunglasses I hadn’t worn in days.

The dust bunny clouds changed from sooty grey to bright white and billowed up in massive heaps. Through the cumulus fluff, I could spot tiny houses and miniature office buildings. 

I’ve lived long enough to know that life has its share of grey days. Sometimes they come and go. Other times they come and stay. Sometimes we think the sun will never shine again, and life will be colorless forever. 

My recent altitude adjustment reminded me that my perspective from the ground is very limited. All I see is what’s around me. It’s real, but it’s not all there is. 

I suspect that if I could mount up to the heavens like I did recently, it would be easier to remember that the sun never ceases, and it will shine again in my life. 


“As the heavens are higher than the earth,” God reminds us through the prophet Isaiah, “so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (55:9). 

If the skies are grey outside your window today, take comfort. The sun has not gone out. It will shine again.
















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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

I'm not Brave

I’m not brave.

You won’t catch me parasailing off the back of a cruise ship, rappelling down a mountain, or jumping out of an airplane. When my girls were little, I wouldn’t even ride the kiddie roller coaster with them at the fair. “If you want to ride THAT ride,” I told them, “you’re on your own.”

This is why I had to chuckle when a patient of mine, hearing I was planning a trip to Japan, remarked, “Wow, you’re BRAVE.” I’ve gotten similar responses about my two mission trips to Mexico. People also call me courageous when they hear I’m a women’s ministry speaker.

“I could NEVER stand up in front of people and speak,” they say. “You’re very brave.”

And when they hear that I asked a stranger if I could pray for her? Over-the-top brave according to most people’s estimation.

I smile when I think about these comments, because I know that a timid, cowardly heart beats inside my chest. Within my own strength, I am decidedly NOT brave.

So why do I do brave things? The simple answer is because the Lord tells me to. When we know the Lord is calling us to do something, it’s no longer a matter of preference. It becomes a matter of obedience. And with the desire to obey God and do what he is calling us to do comes a bold confidence that he will also enable us to accomplish it.

Remember when God called Moses to tell Pharaoh to free the Israelites? Moses almost stammered and stuttered his way toward disobedience. “I I I cccccan’t, Lord,” he said, “I st-st-sttttutter.”

“I’ll put the words in your mouth,” God said. “Now go!” And Moses went. We all know what came of that act of obedience.

Remember what God said to Joshua when he called him to lead the Israelites in battle to conquer the land of Canaan? "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them” (Jos 1:1-2).

God called Joshua, and then he promised to go with him: “I will give you every place where you set your foot . . . . No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (v. 3-5).


The same is true for us, because God does not change. Just as with Moses and Joshua, when he calls us, he will also equip, provide for, and enable us to do what he calls us to do.

This is why we can boldly go on mission trips to foreign countries. This is why we can share our faith without fear. This is why we can give and work and speak and minister in Jesus’ name with confidence—because “the everlasting God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27).

Is God is calling you to a task that seems too big and scary for you to accomplish by yourself? Guess what? You’re right where he wants you to be. And he has something to say to you:

“Be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Jos. 1:8).

I’m spending 10 days in Yokusuka, Japan, to visit my daughter and encourage a group of Navy wives. Will you pray for me?

What have you done that others have considered brave? I’d love for you to leave a comment and tell us about it. And if the Lord is leading you to do something brave, please leave a comment below so we can pray for you.






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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Hungry for God is FREE TODAY

Have you ever heard of Innergize Day?

Innergize Day is observed annually on the day after the Autumnal Equinox. The National Day Calendar website describes it this way:

"This is a day for you! Take this day to relax and rejuvenate yourself. Focus on your personal well-being.

"Do things you enjoy that make you feel good about yourself. Let stress and worry fade away for the day. OBSERVE Take a long bath. Read a good book."

SO, because I love fall (especially after a long hot summer like we've had here in SC), and because I love good books, I've worked with my publisher to offer all my Hungry for God subscribers AND THEIR FRIENDS a FREE Kindle COPY of my 5-minute devotional book.

To download a copy of Hungry for God ... Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women, simply click this link. THIS OFFER EXPIRES AT MIDNIGHT. Download your free copy, then please share the link with the busy ladies in your life. You can't get any better than free. Unless it's a free book in the fall :)

My passion is to help busy women connect with God in the craziness of everyday life. You can help m accomplish this by downloading, sharing on Facebook, Tweeting, or sharing this email. Thanks!


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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

3 Reasons Why We Need Quiet

We live in a noisy world.

Devices ding, ping, jangle, and whistle. Media delivers a non-stop monologue. And then there are those blessed people whom God has placed in our lives—those who call us Mom, Dad, Husband, Wife, Grandma, Grandpas, Co-worker, Boss, Friend, Fellow-church member, and Passerby.

And if outside noise isn’t enough, there’s also a whole lot of noise in our heads. Sometimes it’s productive, because it reminds us of important stuff we need to do, but most of the time, it’s just environmental overflow from the hubbub around us. It elbows its way into the quiet spots in our heads like a 300-lb. man squeezing himself into the seat beside us on an airplane.

Today I’d like to share three reasons we need quiet times in our lives:


1. Quiet allows us to hear God’s voice. As I study God’s Word, I see times when he thunders from the mountain top or shouts through a storm. Most often, however, he speaks to his children in the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit in our souls.

Think of Elijah on the mountaintop and David in the open fields, or Daniel in his prayer closet and Jesus during his early morning worship times. Sometimes he shouts over the din or our lives through an accident, illness, crisis, or family emergency, but often, even then, his voice is muffled by the chaos around us. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Be silent, that we may hear the whisper of God.”

2. Quiet allows us to hear our voice.

Quiet spaces in our minds are open fields where God can plant the seeds of creativity and inspiration. When we still ourselves, turn off our devices, and wait in quiet reflection, it’s amazing what we think.

On a recent early-morning walk in the woods, I cleared my mind of clutter and invited the Lord into my consciousness.  As my thoughts wandered, I began to connect Scripture with an idea for a blog post. Then I thought of a lovely gift idea for my daughter for Christmas. Before the walk had ended, I had the solution to a problem I’d been wrestling with, another blog post idea, and the basis for a women’s ministry presentation.

Peter Drucker, an American businessman, said, “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” Building times of quiet thought into our days allows us to hear our own voices and leaves room for our creativity to blossom.

3. Quiet restores our souls. 

Psalm 23 reminds us that God the Good Shepherd invites us to lie down in green pastures, leads us beside still waters, and restores our souls. Listen to the words the psalmist chose to describe the place where God refreshes us: lie down (not race around), green pastures (not black asphalt), and still waters (not raging rivers). Peaceful, hushed places, whether they’re on the top of a mountain or the corner or your bedroom, are restorative and invigorating.

Keep in mind that the place is less important than the presence. When we carve out time to sit in stillness before the Lord, we gain a fresh perspective, spiritual energy for the day, and hope for the future.

I hope by now you’re convinced that intentional periods of quiet are healthy, productive, and necessary. But the same busy world that steals our quiet also often prevents it.

How can we build times of quiet into our lives? Here are three ideas: 

1. Make an early morning quiet time a priority.

You may not naturally be a morning person, but it’s worth retraining your biological clock. There’s a reason Jesus, probably the busiest soul on the planet, met with God early in the morning. I’ve found that if I wait until nighttime/bedtime to have my quiet time, I fall asleep in the middle of it. 

2. Look for moments of quiet during the day, and instead of pulling out your cell phone to check Facebook, open your Bible app, and meditate on one verse of Scripture.

Or think about what you read that morning in your quiet time. Ask God to speak to you. Then direct your mind to conscious listening. Jot down what you think you heard. (Hint: One way to know if it’s actually God speaking is that what you hear always agrees with Scripture.)

3. Turn off the noise. 

When you’re driving, walking, or working around the house, instead of turning on the TV or your Ipod, listen instead to the silence. You’ll find mental room to think and pray if your mind isn’t pulled in a thousand different directions based on what you’re hearing from an outside source. Don’t be afraid of silence.

"Make time for the quiet moments, as God whispers, and the world is loud."

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how to build quiet into your days. Do you have a suggestion on how to capture or create moments of silence? Have you experienced on of the benefits I’ve listed above, or maybe you’ve thought of one I haven’t? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Today, why not begin your day with a few moments of silence? And after you've stilled your soul and rested in God's peace, allow Kari Jobe's "Be Still My Soul" set the tone for the rest of your day.





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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Reveille and Taps -- Are You Ready for the Trumpet?

Every morning at 5:55, bugle fanfare echoes across the quiet streets of my neighborhood. It’s First Call, a signal to the troops that morning has arrived. Five minutes later, Reveille sounds. Reveille, which originates from the French word "wake up,” began as a way to rouse military personnel at dawn. At Fort Jackson, in my home city of Columbia, South Carolina, Reveille also signals the raising of the flag. 

Trumpet calls are not unique to the United States military. They go back to the dawn of civilization. When God summoned Moses to Mount Sinai, he used thunder, lightning, and a trumpet call (Ex. 19:19). Leaders used trumpets made of rams horns to assemble the Israelites for holy days (Lev. 25:19), gather troops for battle (Num. 10:4), and direct battle maneuvers (Judges 3:27). Buglers traditionally go ahead of troops into battle to provide a rallying point. 

During times of war, the bugle is the voice of the general leading the charge. 

General Daniel Butterfield, a Civil War soldier with the Union army, loved bugle calls. Because troops would often get confused on the battlefield as to which call belonged to their battalion, Butterfield composed his own calls unique to his regiment. 

In 1862 he took a French bugle call that had gone out of fashion, rearranged the notes, and re-purposed it. He used this call to signal “Lights out,” to the troops. Within days of introducing it, the call, composed of only 24 notes, spread through the ranks. Within weeks, the entire Union army was using the melody to signal the close of the day. 

At 11 p.m., if my windows are open and the night is still, I can hear the soothing sound of “Taps” playing in the darkness. 

First Thessalonians 4:16-17 tells us of the trumpet blast that will sound at the time of Christ’s coming: 

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 

First Corinthians 15:52 gives additional details about this glorious day: 

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 

Ft. Jackson no longer uses a lone bugler to sound the 14 calls that announce everything from mealtime to lights out. Instead it has a very effective public address system that residents in nearby neighborhoods like mine have insisted is too loud. 

I love to hear the bugle calls. I listen for them in the early morning and in the late evening. They remind me that even while I sleep, soldiers are protecting me and my country from harm. 

I also listen for the trumpet call to end all trumpet calls—the one that will announce the return of Christ to take his bride, the church, home. Hoping one day to hear this call reminds me to make the most of every day and live in light of Christ’s return. It also reminds me that even while I sleep, God is working out his purposes in the world and preparing me to spend eternity with him in heaven. 




If you know Christ as Savior, these truths are yours as well. In the words of the apostle Paul, “Comfort one another with these words.” 

What about you? Are you eagerly anticipating the sound of the trumpet and Christ’s return, or are you dreading the day of his coming? Are you living for Christ and making the most of every day, or are you living for yourself and wasting the life God has given you? 

Make no mistake, the trumpet will sound, and we will all give an account of ourselves before God. Will you be ready? 

If you’d like to know more about how to have a relationship with Christ, CLICK HERE to access the page, “How to Know God.” If you already know him, why not share this post with someone you love who needs to know him, too?



 



And if you'd like to hear more about the origin of Taps, check out this fantastic video, Taps The Bugler's Cry-The Origin of Sounding Taps.




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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Work hard or pray hard? How to live a productive Christian life

Jackie lives a charmed life. Opportunities fall into her lap, she wakes up with creative thoughts, and she always seems to be in the right place at the right time.


Seth is the same way. When he didn’t have money for college, an anonymous donor paid his way. When his friends were still living with their parents and rolling burritos at Moe’s, he was starting an entry-level position in the field of his choice. Like a modern-day Midas, everything he touches goes viral.

Others, however, are not so fortunate. They sing the chorus of the old Hee Haw song: “If I didn’t have no bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. Gloom, despair, and agony on me.”

This disparity begs the question, does God love some people more than others?  Like a first grade teacher, does he select a few teacher's pets on whom to bestow special lunch privileges while confining the rest to eraser duty?

The apostle Paul belongs to the ranks of Jackie and Seth. An apostolic hot shot, he hit the ground running after his dramatic conversion. Although he was late coming to faith, he quickly superseded the other apostles. Rising through the ranks like a Fortune 500 apprentice, he soon became known as ‘the apostle to the Gentiles.” He replaced frontrunner Peter and traveled the world sharing the Gospel.

Did God bestow a special measure of grace and favor on Paul? And on Jackie? And on Seth? First Corinthians 15:10 sheds some light on the question. Listen to Paul’s words:

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.”

Yes, God bestowed grace on Paul. He plucked him from the hopelessness of Pharisaical unbelief and planted his feet firmly on the Gospel of faith. He discipled him, sanctified him, and sent him out to evangelize the world. This was God’s responsibility—performing supernatural acts in Paul’s life.

But what was Paul’s responsibility?

“. . . No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”

“Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you” (1 Thes. 2:9).

 “We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you” (2 Thes. 3:7-8).

Paul worked hard. So did Jackie and Seth. Jackie worked late into the night while her friends are scrolling through Facebook and reality TV. Seth worked two part-time jobs in college and submitted more than 100 job applications before he was hired. Both are people of faith, but they don’t use their faith as an excuse to be lazy.


In response to their efforts and to their faith, God bestows grace upon them. It’s a mystery, this symbiotic relationship between working hard and resting in God, but it’s the only way to live a productive Christian life. 

There are two misconceptions that challenge this balanced approach. The first is the mistaken notion that God does it all, and we are free to sit back and receive his gifts like a king accepting gifts from his subjects. This makes us God and him our servant.

The second is the equally false belief that it’s all up to us. We work hard. We create opportunities. Our effort determines our success. Like the first danger, this mindset also places me on the throne, only instead of God doing all the work and us reaping all the benefits, God’s not in this picture at all. A friend of mine who believes this often says, “Who can I depend on for my success? Me, myself, and I.”

Paul, Jackie, and Seth understand the symbiosis—that a believer should work hard while simultaneously trusting God to lead, guide, and bless his or her efforts. A hearty dose of sweat and effort, combined with earnest, humble faith produce a grace-filled life that God is pleased to bless.

The next time you’re tempted to think another person’s success just fell into his or her lap, look a little closer. I bet you’ll find a whole lot of effort behind the grace they are enjoying. And if you’re looking for a model to chart the course of your life, why not adopt Paul’s?

“I worked harder than all of them-- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10).


I’m always interested in hearing from you. Why not leave a comment in the box below and share your thoughts?


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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher