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Waiting on God? God Is in the Waiting
I’ve become familiar with waiting on God, and that’s a good thing!

It’s been almost a year since we made the big move to Colorado Springs for my new job. And, believe it or not, I’m still unpacking! And I think it’s time to “unpack” the details of this big life change.

God’s fingerprints are all over this change. And I’ll tell you more about how God worked out all the details in such a little time, but first…my hesitation to making the change.

My final interview was June 23, 2017, and this is what I wrote in my journal the day before:

I trust you, God! Our lives are in Your hand to do as You will. We serve at the pleasure of God. At Your pleasure.

After the interview, I wrote this:

Our lives are in Your hands. But I left there thinking–nope! (I didn’t want it.) But I don’t want to be led by emotions. I don’t even know if I’ll get it. But I don’t want to be led by emotions.

I was led by emotions.

I spent the entire weekend making a list of all the reasons I did NOT want to take the job if offered it. And then on Monday morning, I felt God prompt me with this: What if you WERE open to it?

So then I made a different list. The positives of taking the job if offered it.

And I was offered it. So on July 3, 2017, I wrote this:

“A wide door for effective service has been opened.” (1 Corinthians 16:9) Thank You, God, thank You! Thank You for the new job at Outreach. I trust You to work out the details! Please pour Your grace and mercy over everything.

And, of course, God did! In fact, God seemed to do the impossible–like He likes to do so often!

We had had our house on the market for over a year with no offers. The night before my first interview on June 7, we got our first and only offer. From that day and in less than 6 weeks, we had…
1. Sold our house.
2. Bought a house.
3. Gotten financing for the new house.
4. Closed on both houses.
5. Packed up everything.
6. Moved to our new house.
We moved July 18!

People said it was impossible. But with God all things are possible!

All the waiting…wondering…fretting…and trusting…came to a glorious close with God showing up. I’m so grateful that our lives are in the hands of a powerful and loving God who always comes through for us.

Last Sunday at church, we sang “Take Courage,” and it has this line that we love: “He’s in the waiting.”

He’s in the waiting!

It’s so true. God isn’t just in the miracle or answer to prayer at the end of our journey; He’s in the waiting and trusting and praying and waiting…that’s where God shows up every single day of our lives.

Our lives are in His capable, powerful, loving hands!

Amen?
May 31, 2018
My Top-5 Facial Products for Women Over 50

I’ve spent a lifetime searching for the best facial products. These are my all-time favorite facial products for women over 50 that I wouldn’t want to live without.

1. The Best Exfoliating Scrub

One thing about aging is we need to make sure we’re exfoliating well. Just any cleanser isn’t going to be as effective as getting in there deeply with an exfoliating scrub. That’s why I use Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse Off Formula. I know it says it’s for 7 days, but in the Colorado dry climate, using it twice a week is really enough.

2. The Best Facial Cleanser

I discovered this amazing line of products a few years ago and won’t change until the line stops working. For years, I’d tried to make products from Clinique work but I just couldn’t seem to find the right combination. After exfoliating, this cleanser restores my skin and makes it smooth. It’s a tad expensive but worth it.

3. The Best Way to Defuzz

The Finishing Touch Flawless Women’s Painless Hair Remover is a lifesaver if you’re tired of plucking those wild hairs–only to almost have a car accident when you spy an errant hair sticking out of your chin in the rearview mirror. A friend actually shared this with me after I found a horrifying errant hair after I’d spent the day greeting old friends and colleagues. Sigh…What I like about this little tool is that it gets the fuzz without feeling like you just shaved.

4. The Best Way to Pluck

But let’s be honest, you’re still going to have to pluck away…especially when you’re a woman of a certain age. Double sigh… I discovered these handy little Tweezerman Stainless Steel Slant Tweezer at Sephora. I love my Tweezerman tweezers and won’t use anything else. They really get to the root of the issue!

5. The Best Way to Cleanse and Exfoliate

The best thing about this brush is that it’ll scrub off all the flaky dead skin that gums up your foundation if you don’t get rid of it. And since Olay is making it, it’s very affordable.

Buy it here.

Note: This blog is a bit of a departure from my others but perhaps it’ll be helpful to my gal pals who–like me–are always looking for some good finds. If you do happen to see something you like, please use the links in this post as it’s part of my Amazon Associates account.

I want to hear about what you’re loving for facial products. We can all learn from each other when we share!

May 29, 2018
Why Obedience Matters to Our Spiritual Growth
It’s unfortunate that we as Christians take so much upon ourselves for our growth. We try harder. Vow more sincerely. And work more.

But it’s also unfortunate that we as Christians take very little upon ourselves for our growth. We rest on grace. We shun works. We do less.

Both of these approaches are wrong…and they’re right. Our growth is up to us…kind of. It’s up to us to lean into the work that God is doing in us and let Him do His perfect work.

All we have to do is lean in. Submit. Yield. Turn ourselves over to the One who is 100 percent committed to perfecting His work in us. But, let’s be honest, that’s hard work in a world that pulls us to do anything but lean in to God.

God is at work in us. Everything that happens to us is God’s design to create a beautiful work in us.

That’s great comfort to me. And yet it’s also great accountability.

Because if I don’t yield, don’t submit, don’t lean in to the work that God is committed to, I block Him. I stand in His way.

Can I stand in the way of the Creator of the Universe?

Philippians 1:6 says: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

And yet, even Jesus had to do something. He had to be obedient for God’s perfect work to be completed.

Hebrews 5:8-9 speaks of Jesus here on Earth. The Scripture says, “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.”

I don’t pretend to understand this fully. In fact, I wonder why these verses say that Jesus learned obedience from what He suffered and was made perfect when Hebrews 5:7 says: “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.”

Deep things.

Jesus was holy but He still participated in God’s work through obedience. Jesus had to be obedient to participate in the perfection God was working in Him. And Scripture calls us to look to Jesus–the author and perfecter of our faith. So what do we learn from looking to Jesus?
1. There are no shortcuts. Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the cross. And then God exalted Him. (Philippians 2:8)
2. Jesus had a choice. He chose humility and obedience. (Philippians 2:8)
3. Jesus endured. He despised the shame and difficulty. (Hebrews 12:2)
4. Jesus chose to give His life. (John 10:18)
5. Jesus suffered for a righteous reason–our salvation. (1 Peter 3:18)
6. Jesus cried out to God for help. (Matthew 26:39)
There is no such thing as instant spiritual growth. And there is no such thing as spiritual growth without complete obedience. Such obedience mattered to Jesus and it must matter to us. Our disobedience can keep God’s work from being completed. We can stand in His way through our disobedience.

And I don’t know about you but I hate to think about standing before God some day and Him telling me all the things that He had planned to do in and through me had I only been a willing participant.

God’s calling and work in our life is not optional. It’s not a suggestion. It must be obeyed.
May 25, 2018