Category Archives: Spiritual

The Observer’s Eye: Making Every Moment Divine

I recently came across a picture that instantly filled me with a sense of sadness. I was told that the image captures two siblings hugging goodbye on their first day of school.

Take a moment to reflect on how this image makes you feel. There’s so much more to it than just a simple goodbye. So, let’s explore what we can learn from this snapshot.

First, try to see yourself in both of these siblings. Think back to a time when you responded in a similar, negative way to someone’s love, affection, care, or support. How did you feel about yourself after that moment? Did it bring you unease, discomfort, or even shame?

Now, shift your perspective and consider the times when you’ve been the one offering the love, affection, care, or support to someone who resisted your gift. Think about the moments when you extended yourself towards another, but it wasn’t appreciated or even acknowledged. How did it feel to give of yourself in that way, only to be rejected?

Returning to the picture, it’s important to remember that we are merely the observers. We don’t know these siblings, and we may never meet them. Yet, from this one snapshot, we can make assumptions about their emotions and draw conclusions about the condition of each of their hearts. If we told them our thoughts, they might want to explain away our conclusions. Or, with the knowledge of how that moment looks to a third party, they might want a redo.

What would you say about a snapshot from your own life either rejecting love or having your gift of love rejected by another person? Let’s consider that if we were to capture a photo of that moment, the “picture” would include the ultimate observer – our Father in Heaven – and we wouldn’t have to explain a thing because God knows the full story and every subsequent story to come.

When I think of that truth, I am reminded that no matter how I feel in the moment, God wants me to love the other person as I love myself. And the beautiful and exciting difference between our observations of the picture above and a picture with God as our observer is that when we don’t have the strength or desire to do it, God is willing to intervene and assist us in making that moment the very best that it can be! He can make it so that we never live with a picture of our regretful actions. But, this only happens if we allow Him to become a part of the full picture of our life.

Take a moment to think about that. Will you commit to letting God transform your heart in every future life moment? Even in those times when you don’t feel like giving or receiving love, will you allow God to take over and love others “through” you? This is your opportunity to ask Him for His guidance as you seek to create special, moments worthy of a beautiful, loving picture.

No Backup Plan

One of my favorite worship songs is by Hillsong called “Oceans: Where Feet May Fail”.

It’s a beautiful song influenced by the Biblical account in Matthew 14:22-33 where Peter was called out onto the water to walk with Jesus, but he quickly became distracted by the storm.

Imagine that. He was walking on water, defying all that he knows to be true of his experience thus far on this planet. Clearly, his natural mind trusted in Christ enough to make room for this water walking experience. Yet his faith was stretched beyond what he could comprehend when he began to focus on the storm. A storm that was restrained by the very laws he was transcending through the power of Christ.

It’s as though he thought, “God is making it possible for me to walk on this water, but He can’t prevent the storm from overpowering me. *That’s* too much for Him.”

At this point, Peter’s faith wobbles a bit, and he begins to sink into the water. But Peter knows who holds the power to save him, and he calls out to God for help.
Verse 31 reads, “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’”

It’s such a big lesson for us. A lesson we need to remember.
Don’t doubt. Trust in Him, no matter what.

The other day, we were listening to the “Oceans” song together over breakfast, when my children asked to hear of Peter’s experience once again. I started to share it, but I remembered that they have already heard this account many times; so in the midst of the message, I began looking for another angle – another lesson within the original experience.

We had reached a part of the song that says,
“Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior”

I decided to pause, and ask them a question:
“What if you guys were Peter? How would you walk on the water?”
They smiled as the picture began to form in their minds.
My 4yo daughter spoke first, “What do you mean ‘how’?”

I got up to demonstrate, “I mean, would you walk gingerly on the water, looking down into the sea at all of the fish below your feet? Would you run out there, leaping and jumping in the excitement of it all? Would you tap dance or do the Moonwalk?” I was acting out all of the possibilities, as my daughter jumped down from the table to show me her ideas.

“Mom! I would do ballerina twirls and karate kicks all over the top of that water!”
Losing my mind in the moment, I said, “What about The Robot! Wouldn’t it be cool to do The Robot on the water?”
We both broke out with The Robot and then went back to twirling around the kitchen floor.

That’s when my 6yo son, who was deep in thought up until this point, scooted to the edge of his chair and said,
“If I were Peter, I would jump out of the boat…”
He jumped off of the chair and slowly lifted his foot.
“Then, I would take a step out towards Jesus.”
He took a step and then he stopped fast!
“No! Wait… wait… wait! The very first thing I would do is turn around and destroy the boat!”

In mid-twirl, both Cayden and I stopped and turned to him in complete confusion.
He had begun bashing the imaginary boat with his imaginary sledgehammer.

“Now why would you destroy the boat?” I asked.

Without even a pause, he answered, “I’m destroying this boat so that I have no choice but to run to God!”

There it was. The new lesson in the Biblical account.
As long as there is a boat, there is a choice to turn around, a backup plan… a “just in case God isn’t enough”.
But consider the faith it takes to make the choice to trust in God so much that you choose to destroy the boat.
You remove the temptation to trust in anything other than Him.
No back up… just God. And THEN you walk (and dance) in your faith with Jesus.
Wow!

What is your “boat”?
What is it in your life that you are using as a backup plan – as a fail safe?
What is preventing you from trusting *The* Creator as your only safety net?

He called you out upon the water.
Trust that HE has you, no matter what.
Walk in your faith.
Destroy the boat!

UPDATE!

This happening has been such a beautiful blessing to so many people. “Destroy the Boat” has become a slogan and a spiritual focus within our circle. We are constantly looking for different ways to remind each other to rely solely on the Lord, in all things.

So we thought, “Why not wear it on a t-shirt?”

We pray that when you wear your t-shirt, a seeking heart will ask you to explain what it means to “Destroy the Boat”.  Many ears have heard the Biblical account of Peter walking on water. Maybe, Connor’s 7yo perspective will give you a new opportunity to share God’s everlasting love with someone who desperately needs His comfort.

All Glory and Honor to our Heavenly Father.
~The Pearson Family

*** “Destroy the Boat” t-shirts ***

It’s Thanksgiving…. But, I Didn’t Pick My Family!

For many years, I lived my life trying to emotionally “separate” myself from certain family members. When I’d think of them, I’d say to myself, “Ya know, I didn’t *choose* for them to be in my life… But I did *choose* my friends. So, I am going to go hang with them – I’m out!”

That thought was a door that I would walk through whenever family members would do something that ticked me off. I’d say, “I didn’t choose y’all – I’m out!” It was a seed that took root and grew into a hedge that separated me from the painful emotional lessons that came with some family members. That phrase, “I didn’t choose them” was very powerful.

So what happened? And how does this relate to Thanksgiving?

The other day, I was faced with whether or not I should spend this “last” Thanksgiving with certain family members… and I answered in my very practiced phrase, “Nah…. I didn’t choose them.” And God answered, “But I did.”

I was floored!

Yep… no matter what you think of your family… each person is connected to you through your creator. Whatever you are to learn – be it patience, kindness, forgiveness – maybe that lesson can only be taught through a face that resembles your own, or a voice that sounds like your mother’s voice. For some of life’s lessons, maybe you could only be reached through eyes that are a genetic match to the very eyes you use every day.

The lesson I take away is that God chose these connections. So, whatever the connection, there is perfection in it. If my connection includes grief or conflict, I need to look for the perfection, and then remove the rest as confusion.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for my family. And I am ready to learn the lessons that only THEY can teach me.

I didn’t choose them…. God did.
Happy Thanksgiving!

“They Pushed God Right Out of the Room!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07x88Hgj1vM

This incident started with one of these family members slashing the tires on the car of another family member. And from there, (I know you won’t expect the rest of this sentence) …It was a GREAT lesson for my kids! Sure it’s a video of people acting a hott mess and no one wants to show their kids a video of adults acting a hott mess… but what if they can learn about energy from the example? And since there is no sound on the actual video – that makes this video a GOLD MIND!!! (Gold for the Mind :))

I watched the video first… making notes of all the points I wanted to cover for my kids. Then, I prefaced the viewing with all the things I wanted them to observe. (I felt that just letting them watch it would be an attack on their senses. I wanted to make this a positive lesson, not an action movie for entertainment.) After I told them what they were about to see – Adults making bad choices and creating BAD energy – I shared the video with them, stopping it at various parts and pointing out the points I wanted them to “see”.

“Watch the actions of the Big Dog on the right hand side as the wave of energy builds in the front.” We concluded that the “good guys” recognized that the energy was shifting and they made their way to the back, away from it.

I also pointed out that when energy is building like that, people stop caring about safety. I pointed out how everyone, even the small children, had to look out for themselves. “That is not a loving environment,” I said, “and when we see this stuff building up… we find a way out until the energy changes.”

At one point in the escalation I paused the video to ask, “Now where is God in this?”

And my son said, “He’s in the back, in a Dog Suit rescuing the kids from all that craziness!”

Then, Cayden said quickly, “Mommy, they pushed God right out of the room!”

I said, “That is absolutely right! They pushed God right out of the room with their drama. So where do we want to be?”

They both answered, “Wherever God is!”

I reinforced that idea. I told them, “If we were in that room while all the energy was building in the front, I would start making my way to the back with the Big Dog!” They agreed.

Then I asked them what THEY saw. I was careful to listen to what they were taking inside their hearts and minds. One thing I didn’t notice was a child who ran forward, from the safety of the back to observe more of the fight. My son caught that and asked, “Why would you run back into it if you were safe away from it?” I told him that some people are attracted to this kind of energy. Some people create it, and seek it out. “But we aren’t those people.”

I asked one last time if they had any more questions on what they saw. And my son, knowing the cause of the fight said, “I know what I would do after I got out of the room. I would pump up the slashed tires and then run back in and yell, ‘Ok everybody! You can stop fighting! The tires are fixed!’ and then maybe they would be happy again. Then, maybe they would cut and eat that big cake together.”

Wow – I didn’t even see the cake!

Jesus Takes Away Your Sin

Have you ever thought about what our kids (protected from seeing violent TV shows) might be thinking when introduced to the crucifixion and resurrection of our Savior, Christ Jesus? I think about it from time to time. And I’ve told them parts of it on different occasions. But… Well, this just happened….

My kids learned a more intensive lesson on the sacrifice Christ made for our sins today in Vacation Bible School. At the end of the day, all of the children and leaders met in the sanctuary to go over the sacrifice one last time. This gathering included a visual where a man, dressed up as Jesus, walked though the crowd and the kids were suppose to give their sins to him so he could take them with Him to the cross. Since the cross was set up on the stage, the whole thing was sure to be memorable.

I looked to see if my son was understanding, and all indications told me that he was. But when I scanned the crowd for my daughter, I saw the back of her head. She was being held by her group leader. I thought maybe she was tired, but then she turned around and my heart broke. She was sobbing! I ran to her and tried to see what was going on, yet she was almost inconsolable.

I thought so many things as I tried to speak with her; way too many to capture them all here. Mostly, I traveled through the blame of wondering if this was something she was too young or too sensitive to see. I thought, maybe the idea of the whole thing was too violent for her mind. I started counting the number of mommy-failures this scene represented. The truth is, I wanted to run away. Yet here she was needing to be comforted, and here I was needing help on where to begin.

Since the leaders did such a great job of focusing on “love”, I started there in my discussion with her. We went over “why” He chose to do this for us. And when I was finished, I told her, “Precious, I know its hard to think about, but you don’t need to worry about his death, because Jesus rose from the dead!”

Cayden: I know that. But, I still don’t like it.
Mommy: Honey, I know, but Jesus did it because He loves you.
Cayden (Yelling): Mommy, I know that! I don’t like the other part!
Mommy: What other part, baby?
Cayden: The part where Jesus takes away all of my skin.
Mommy: SIN honey, He took away all of your SIN.

My daughter thought the man dressed up in the white robe walking through the crowd was coming to collect her skin. No wonder she was terrified!

He’s Alive!

Christians, imagine what you would have done back then, on this day, when the Lord was crucified. The Son of God, doing what He told you He would do… dies for the sins of the world. Would you trust that in 3 days he would be back, a conqueror of death? Or would you have fear that you would be rounded up and crucified right next to him for standing with Him, and following Him all these years? I have to admit… I would be torn.

Those 3 days would be full of a lot of pacing and speculation. My favorite song for this time of year is “He’s Alive!” I love how this song (sung through the eyes of Peter) captures both the dread and the hope a follower of Christ would feel after His crucifixion. The best line is when Peter admits he denied Him, just as Jesus told him he would. And then he says, “Even if He was alive… it wouldn’t be the same.”

It’s almost like he hopes Jesus doesn’t rise; because then, he won’t have to face his own betrayal.

I have felt that with a friend before. I did something that hurt my friend, and the consequence of my action was the end of a friendship. I remember wanting the friendship back, but I was too much of a coward to face what I did and just apologize… and ask for another chance. I think about that with Peter. Peter was actually friends with the Son of God. Peter knew the forgiveness and the love that was harnessed in this “God-Man” (as my son Connor calls Him). Yet even then, Peter played with the idea of it all being a figment of his imagination… the idea that maybe He wasn’t God and wouldn’t be back… because then Peter wouldn’t have to face Him. He wouldn’t have to admit his own weakness… his own failure.

I wonder if Peter felt his betrayal was so over the top that God couldn’t possibly forgive him for it. I know I’ve felt that before. But God can forgive… and He did forgive. We just need to accept it, and walk in that forgiveness. For me, I finally did swallow my pride and I asked for forgiveness from my friend. What I once thought was so unforgivable, turned out to be forgivable, after all. Now I’m left thinking of all the time apart, wasted on worrying, when we could have been together, laughing!
Hmmmmm….

So friends, I send you encouragement from my journey. On this day. where we think of the sacrifice made on our behalf for true reconciliation… If you are avoiding a conversation with someone in this world due to fear of your own “unforgivable sin”… Or worse… If you are avoiding a conversation with God due to something you think is “too much” for Him… If you think you’ve lost your chance at His love because of something you’ve done. Stop. Just stop. Accept His forgiveness and then… talk to Him. Accept His forgiveness and all the relief that comes with it, and then… call your friend. He’s Alive! So, let this be the start of a new beginning!

Sending you love from “The Lake House”.

Listen to this song: “He’s Alive” by: Don Francisco

The Picture of Your Frequency

OK – I was hit with some deepness this morning and I HAD to share…
Recently, in my walk I have stumbled upon a truth:
EVERYTHING HAS A FREQUENCY.
Everything… Both living or non-living.

The universal truth is this: no matter how you tap into it, via sight, sound, taste or touch, we respond to the frequencies of everything around us and we create the picture of those frequencies through our choices and our actions.

Think of how you begin to feel and how you carry yourself when you hang out with a negative person. Think about the bounce in your step after being around a positive person. You are creating the picture of those frequencies with your body and your mind.

This thinking has been amazing to me. It has changed the way that I look at everything in my life. My desire is to remain in the frequency of Christ. I am working on finding what that looks like. What is the picture painted by that frequency? What does it sound like? This is where I am in my walk. Maybe you are there as well.

Take a look at the video below. It’s a visual lesson that something real is created by each frequency.
What picture are you creating today with yours? (CMP – 7/28/09)

Click here: Sound Waves

An Effort to Create It

If I try really hard, squint, and turn my head to the side… I can almost feel what it would be like to be FREE of all the ethnic/gender/age/etc. labels that hold me back from my dreams. I can almost feel what its like to live in a country where none of that matters. Where we evolve to a people who look to God for our identity and we go after our purpose in this life – with full focus and vigor!

If I lean back a little… I can almost see a world where we move forward in our calling… each one of us, overcoming our individual challenges. Experiencing the successes and failures that come with the journey. The only time we slow is to support one another. The only time we pause is to recognize a violation of the rules we all agreed to follow… together. But after justice is achieved, we are back in full pursuit of our life-offering to The Creator of this Universe. No person, government, or religion could stand in our way as we honor God by honoring each other – by giving our very best to one another.

It could be something amazing! I can see it… I can smell it… I can almost taste it…. WOULDN’T THAT BE INCREDIBLE?!

My Prayer For This Moment

Thank you Lord God that you did all that needed to be done to reconcile me with you because there is nothing in me that could have done it without you. I am in awe of the truth of you. Lord God, you are a multi-dimensional being who created the layers of this universe through the awesome power that is you. From my 3-dimensional perspective, I don’t understand, but you created in me a desire to know more.

In the moments I am still, I see a glimpse of your majesty, a smile peek at the essence of you, and I am floored at your greatness! In those moments I am reminded that I am not you, my scope of control does not include the flow of the wave that is humanity. You have a perspective on this world that I cannot comprehend. You see order in the chaos of the pain, injustice, oppression, and the freedom, happiness, and prosperity that is the human relationship on this planet. You are greater than me and I trust in you.

Thank you Lord God for allowing me this opportunity to experience a life on this planet through a body created with the elements of this planet. Connecting me to it, giving me the unexplainable desire to treat it with respect. Through your direction, help me to make a positive contribution to the health and healing of your complete creation, while understanding and respecting the breadth of the scope of my journey.

Oh Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to experience a life based on the forward momentum of my choices. I have the opportunity to craft an experience in this world with my decisions and to live each day as the culmination of a grand adventure. I am in awe of the opportunity to share this journey with other people in your creation, and to hear their unique perspectives. I have faith in your power of reconciliation and I trust in the greatness of your will. My faith in you gives me peace. My faith in your sacrifice, for my sake gives me rest.

Who am I to be worthy of your awesome love? Through your example, I feel a compassion beyond just me for all people to have the freedom of connecting to you, their creator, uninhibited from access to your calling for them. I seek your strength and guidance in the use of my voice, my finances, my labor, and my influence whenever you call me to stand for your will.

Lord God, I know I am only in control of my choice to experience this journey with you.

I apologize for every time I dishonored the examples of your mercy and your grace in MY life by taking on pieces of the journey from the lives of others. I celebrate what you have made real for my life and I thank you for your promise to never leave nor forsake me. I praise you in this moment for the very freedom to praise you!

Lead me and guide my support of people in positions of importance and responsibility on this planet. With your wisdom, I will make choices in my conversations and financial dealings to insure that I’m not contributing to actions or deeds that are not of you. Help me to understand the scope of my role and contribution in the wave of humanity, and help me to remember to see what is REAL about my life.

Dear Lord God, This is what I know to be real in this moment… Through Your genius in our design, we are connected to one another and this planet. Through the mercy of Your grace, our experiences and our perspectives are unique, individual, and precious. Through the love in Your sacrifice, our reconciliation with your Wonder is eternal!