Casandra Martin

I got to ride in the car with a toddler this week. I had forgotten how special those times in the seats can be. He demanded an ongoing conversation. He wanted to comment on everything, ask about whatever came to his mind, and look in wonder at dump trucks, school buses, and helicopters. Usually, driving my car is about getting from point A to point B. I turn on some music, put the car in drive, and focus on reaching my destination. My little friend’s joy came from enjoying the journey. We sang the traffic light song at every light. We squealed with delight looking for cherry pickers. We counted dump trucks traveling down the road and wondered where they might be headed. The drive became an adventure because he challenged me to pay attention.

How often do we live in auto-pilot? Going through our routines, walking through our days focused on getting to the next place and crossing the next thing off the list. How much beauty, wonder, and just plain fun do we miss because we don’t really stop to pay attention? Jesus challenges us to do just that – slow down and look. See His fingerprints on the world around us and catch our breath in wonder. Enjoy the moment because this is where God is present.

My Jesus Resolution today is to slow down and enjoy the ride. I am going to pay attention, really pay attention, to the ways God is making Himself known all around me. I want to look for beauty, watch for wonder, and find joy in the journey. His fingerprints are can be found in every moment. Each one reveals His deep love and His plan to bring me home. God has an adventure planned for me today. I am looking forward to the drive.

The way we face disappointment says a great deal about our faith. We all deal with disappointment. Things just don’t always go our way. We have hopes and dreams that die on the vine. We get impatient about timing, feel anxious about the way things are unfolding, and, at times, watch as others live the lives we thought we were meant to live.

In those moments when disappointment defines our hearts, we have an opportunity. How we deal with disappointment depends in great measure on what we understand about the heart of God. It is easy in times of disappointment to blame God. Why didn’t He deliver? Doesn’t He care? Why did He let this happen to me?

God wants us to use moments of disappointment to realign our hearts with His heart. The truths we know about the heart of God have the power to put boundaries and perspective around our disappointments. God is always good. What He does or does not do on our behalves will always be His very best. God’s timing is always perfect. The “when” that I worry about so much is completely in His control. He will always move at precisely the right moment and in exactly the right way. God’s faithfulness is always sure. I can trust my heart to His loving care.

My Jesus Resolution today is to let God shape my disappointments. I am not going to let my disappointments define my view of God. Instead, I am going to look for His fingerprints and search for His movement. I am going to trust His goodness, rest in His timing, and depend on His faithfulness. I am going to step back from the disappointment and step into the arms of God. He will never let me down.

I just finished a new quilt. I put the final stitches in, pulled the basting threads, and spread it out on the floor to admire it. It is so neat to see how pieces of fabric, batting, and thread come together to create something beautiful. On their own, each piece of the quilt looks insignificant. Most are small. They are cut at funny angles. Crooked edges are mixed in with straight ones. Some of the pieces are brightly colored and eye-catching. Many are in ordinary, nothing-special hues. But put them together, use a needle and thread, invest some time, and the results are extraordinary.

One of the reasons I love quilts is because they are a reminder for me of the way God is working in my life. Our days, our choices, our relationships, and our surrender are the pieces of fabric. Occasionally, there is a spectacular one, but most are ordinary by themselves. We look at our days, like them, but don’t always see their beauty. Only when they come together in the pattern God is working into our lives can we stand back and catch our breath in wonder.

Quilting requires dealing with knots, untangling thread, stretching the fabric in a frame, and using scissors. The struggles, stresses, knots, and tangles of our days are a part of our quilt. Each one is part of the process of putting together something beautiful. Each marks a moment when God is working His grace into the fabric of our lives.

Quilts tell a story. Each one is unique. Every quilt bears the mark of the person who held it in their hands. Time, energy, creativity, and love are woven into its design. No one makes a quilt by accident. God is using every piece of your life to make something that will reflect His beauty. He is using the pattern of His own heart to take the ordinary, average pieces of our days and turn them into something that will help the world see Jesus.

My Jesus Resolution today is to open my eyes to the way God is putting the pieces of my heart together for His glory. He is going to use each piece, each experience, each surrender, each prayer, each moment spent in service, each sacrifice, and each person who touches my day to imprint His pattern deep into my quilt. There will be knots to untangle, stretching to do, and needles to thread, but each moment rests in the hands of the Master Quilter.

Our lives are filled with thousands of choices. Some are simple – what shampoo to use, what’s for dinner. Some are complex – where we will invest our hearts, the decision to have children. Our most profound choice, however, is whether we will accept the invitation of God. We, who don’t get to decide about tomorrow’s weather, are given the opportunity to choose where we will spend eternity. The invitation is extended to every person – regardless of race, background, wealth, or gender. And only you can decide for you – you can’t choose for your spouse, children, or co-workers. It’s your choice and yours alone.

It is interesting in our pro-choice society that there is so much pressure not to choose anything related to the soul. The world would like you to think that everything is gray; that there is no longer black or white, dark or light. And Satan is laughing because, once again, he has managed to steal the invitation from the heart of man – the same one he stole in the garden…

As the account of creation unfolds in Genesis 1-3, we see with joy that the most important provision the Lord makes for Adam and Eve in the garden is the gift of Himself. They had an intimate relationship with God as they walked and talked with Him. Yet, despite this gift, we all know how the story unfolds – the command not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the temptation of the dangling fruit, the lie that there was something sweeter than the presence of God. And the choice was made.

Heaven and hell held its breath as Eve reached for the fruit on the tree. With the first bite, those in hell cheered and, in heaven, God’s heart broke. Yet, even as He drove Adam and Eve from the garden, the promise of a way back formed on His lips. Barely had the fruit’s juice run down their chins; barely had Satan’s cackle quieted, before God announced the plan to redeem His children – Jesus.

My Jesus Resolution today is to deliberately choose Jesus. Everyday I face the same choice that Adam and Eve faced in the garden. Satan’s offer echoes through our society – “Have it your way.”, “You only go around once.”, “I deserve it.”, “Whatever.” Jesus quietly invites me closer to His heart – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:26) Today I am going to choose Jesus. What about you? The choice is yours.

Someone I love has been touched by identity theft. A routine check revealed that someone had invaded my daughter’s privacy and is using her personal information. In a single moment, her name was being used, her integrity questioned, and her sense of security shaken. We were blessed. There hasn’t been a lot of damage done. No money is missing. We are following law enforcement procedures, wading through the paperwork to set things right.

Nothing is more central to how we walk through our days than our identity. It defines us, guides us, sets our priorities, and shapes our days. Our identity is at the core of who we are and is the lens through which we see and interact with the world. Being a Christian means, at its heart, that our identity is defined by Jesus. He names us, claims us as His own, purchases our freedom, and calls us His children. Our identity is rooted in the cross, empowered by His blood, and defined by His love. It shapes our perspective and gives us new eyes.

Satan is the ultimate identity thief. He wants us to question who we are, doubt where we belong, and fear the One who calls us His own. His greatest desire is for us to take on one of the many identities offered by the world – to define ourselves by power, money, education, or beauty. Anything but God. He pulls at our hearts and tries to strip away the confidence we have in wearing the name of Jesus.

Our daughter is learning the necessity of protecting her identity. We need to learn to do the same.

My Jesus Resolution today is to be vigilant about protecting, guarding, and living within the identity I have in Jesus. I am not going to let thieves tear me away from the purpose God is working out in my life. I am going to safeguard my soul from those thieves trying to sneak in to steal my joy, confidence, and peace. To protect my identity, I am going to keep myself rooted in the cross, define my heart by His character, and keep my eyes open for His presence. I am a Christian – God’s beloved. Nobody can steal that from me.

It has been said that a Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t. I like that. The well-worn pages of a Bible tell a beautiful story. Every wrinkle marks a spot where someone came to meet God. The notes written in the margin are reminders of lessons learned, questions asked, and surrender given. In a few places, you might find smeared ink where tear drops have fallen, battles have been fought, and sins have been forgiven. The cracked, worn binding of a Bible reveals strength that has been unleashed in prayer as the words of God have breathed life into a soul.

The Bible is more than a book. God breathed and His heart took shape in the form of words on paper. His Word is a window into who He is, how He loves us, and what He is doing in us. It is a mirror by which we can see our own hearts. It shows us the truth about who we are, why we need Him, and who we can be in Him. It is a light that shows us where to go, who to trust, and how to be filled with joy.

In opening our Bibles, we receive an amazing gift. Each word echoes with the voice of God. Every book points to Jesus. Every verse reveals His plan, His purposes, and His passion for you. Every time you open your Bible you meet God. You come into His presence and have the chance for a fresh start, new beginning, radical transformation, or quiet grace.

God gives us a stunning promise about what will happen when we allow Him to unleash the power of His Word in our lives. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” –  Isaiah 55:10-11

Do you want to flourish? Do you want to be fruitful? Fill yourself with the words of God. His Word will not return to Him without fulfilling His deepest desire in you. Opening His Word makes it possible for Him to achieve His purpose in your life. His purpose is transformation. He wants to fill you with Jesus.

My Jesus Resolution today is to open my Bible and meet God in its pages. Today I am not going to read just to check it off my list or quiet the guilt-o-meter. I am going to still my spirit and listen for the voice of God. I am going to let my heart beat in anticipation of being with the One who loves me beyond measure. I am going to let the richness of His Word feed my deepest hunger. I am going to let the living waters of His presence fill the deep crevices of my soul. And if my Bible looks well-loved, it will just be a reflection of a heart that has taken a journey of joy.

“But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.”     Habakkuk 2:20

We live in a noisy world. Multiple voices compete for our attention. Advertisers try to fill our hearts with desire. News anchors want to shape how we see the world. Musicians long to have their songs playing in our heads. Sound fills the air when we are in the elevator, on hold on the phone, or walking through the grocery store.

Habakkuk reminds us of the necessity to be quiet before the Lord. Enter the temple of His presence and be still. The silence that flows from respect, adoration, and awe realigns our perspective. When we still our hearts in His presence, we are able to tune out the chatter of the world and listen to the loving voice of our Father. He makes Himself known to us through gentle whispers, quiet tugs on our hearts, and hushed invitations to walk close to His side.

My Jesus Resolution today is to make a conscious effort to turn down the world’s noise. I am going to still my heart and be silent before Him. I am not going to let busyness, or to-do lists, or nagging worries keep me from listening to the voice of my God. I am going to take a few minutes today to cover my mouth and open my heart. No telling what I might hear in those holy moments.

Birth announcements are the best. They are sent out to share all the joy, dreams, and beauty of new life. In receiving them, we are asked to celebrate the miracle of new life. They give us a chance to stand back and marvel at one of God’s mightiest miracles. Each new life frames hope, inspires goodness, and renews love.

Birth announcements give us the opportunity to both look back with nostalgia and fond memories, and to look forward with anticipation and joy. Each time I receive a birth announcement, I flip through memories of the times new life touched my heart. I reconnect with the wide-eyed wonder, deep delight, and overwhelming sense of God’s nearness that new life brought into focus. I get to retrace the transformation that unfolded within me because new life walked into my heart.

We also get to look forward. New life pushes open the door of new possibilities just a little bit wider. Each one is a declaration that God is at work, He has a plan, and His purposes continue to unfold on the earth.

I received the best kind of birth announcement today. Someone I love called to tell me he was baptized into the name and blood of Jesus today. New life at its grandest. My son heard the news and shouted, “Happy New Birthday!” It is a day to celebrate God’s power and love. A day to look back and recapture the wonder of the new life God is willing to work within us all. A day to look forward to the moment when our new life in heaven will begin.

My Jesus Resolution today is to celebrate new life. God is still working miracles. Baptism frames the very best one of all – the move from sinner to saint, darkness to light, foreigner to family, and old to new. God longs to continue to pour new life into me. He makes things new every morning, moving in my life to reconstruct, refresh, and rebuild me into the image of Jesus. Angels rejoice over new life every day. It is the spark for heaven’s biggest celebrations. Let’s RSVP and join them.