Casandra Martin

It was just a small note at the end of an email. “Have some fun today,” my friend wrote. Four words that gave me pause.

How much fun do you have? Christians should be the people on the street with the biggest smiles, most frequent laughs, and the warmest faces. Joy should radiate from us. Peace should flow from our lives in waves. Generosity should tumble from our hearts.

Jesus would point us to a child. Children can find a way to infuse joy into any situation. Play is a vehicle for sharing, connecting, and building relationships. Fun is the byproduct of living fully in the moment, letting go of worries, stress, impatience, and misplaced priorities.

The writer of Ecclesiastes put it this way. “I perceived that there is nothing better for them to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil – this is God’s gift to man.” – Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

My Jesus Resolution today is to have some fun. The words of the wise man speak to my heart. Every day God gives me a gift. It is a gift meant to be opened, embraced, and enjoyed. He gives me time – time to be with Him, time to soak in His blessings, time to enjoy every moment of this miracle called life. Too often, I get so busy trying to manage my life that I forget to live my life. Today I am going to laugh a little more, love a little deeper, and soak in the sparkle a little fun adds to the day. God is a God of smiles. Where will you see one today?

“Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.”    – Revelation 3:8
Sometimes it seems to take a long time. My sons are learning to be door openers, and in the process, I am learning to be a door waiter. It takes a couple of moments for them to get themselves out of the car, pick up their things, and move to my side of the vehicle. In those moments, I have a choice – rush ahead, getting out on my own, or wait for them to open the door for me.

Choosing to rush buys me a few seconds, but costs me so much. I lose the opportunity to see their servant hearts. It costs me a moment of precious connection as they reach out to take my hand. I lose the chance to impress on their hearts the need to watch for others, the truth that love takes time, and making someone feel special is always worth the effort.

Waiting is sometimes uncomfortable in the moment, but always worth it. It fills my heart to see their smiles. It is humbling to catch glimpses of the men they are becoming. It stretches my soul to know that in the act of waiting we are creating space for God to move.

The lessons in this simple act of waiting need to sink deeper into my heart. God is my Door Opener. Too many times, I try to rush ahead and take care of it myself. I get uncomfortable waiting because movement always seems more productive than being still. I miss the opportunities to let His graciousness move me to gratitude, His holiness inspire my humility, and His timing spark transformation deep within me.

My Jesus Resolution today is to be a door waiter. I am going to wait for God. I am going to let Him move first. I am going to count the cost of rushing ahead of Him. I am going to invest my soul in the deep value of creating space for God to inhabit my times of waiting. When God opens a door, it is truly an open door of opportunity, joy, welcome, and peace. In opening doors for our hearts, He always offers His hand as we take the first step. That’s worth waiting for.

Sitting in a Bible study the other day, a grandmother shared a story about her five-year old granddaughter. Her granddaughter lives out-of-town and loves to visit her grandmother and go to church with her.

The first time she visited her grandmother’s church building, she stood in the doorway amazed. Near the ceiling in the room where they worship is a small stained glass window. Light was pouring through the window and the little girl was enchanted by what she saw. She told her grandmother that they had to sit in God’s yellow light – the light streaming through the stained glass window. She settled into the pew, bathed in God’s yellow light, and worshipped with all of her heart.

The next visit brought a new insistence. As it grew closer and closer to time for worship, the little girl kept her eye on the window. She was determined to once again sit in God’s yellow light. It required moving from their regular seat, but the little girl found joy in her determination to be immersed in His light.

Now, whenever the little girl comes for a visit, they have to sit in God’s yellow light. It doesn’t matter where the light falls, they move to that spot and anchor themselves in the light.

What a lesson for us! I love the fact that she spotted God’s yellow light. Her five-year old faith drew her to plant her heart in its warmth. There is nowhere else she would rather be than in the light of God’s love. She is willing to move outside of her comfort zone in order to stay in the light. The light guides where she sits, where she has her focus, and where she finds delight.

My Jesus Resolution is to sit in God’s yellow light. I want to keep my eyes open for where He is shining and join Him there. I want to be willing to move if that is what it takes to be bathed in His presence. I long for His light to define me, guide me, and illuminate every part of me.

I stopped.

That shouldn’t be an unusual sentence, but it is. I tend to live in a whirlwind. Constantly on the go is my normal state of being. Like so many, I run, plan, hurry, rush, fret, set alarms, live by my calendar, and grab and go. It isn’t something of which I am proud. Quite the opposite. It drains my soul. It dehydrates my spirit. It deflates my heart. It leaves me weary, worn, and worried.

The most logical move would be to stop, but that isn’t my normal reaction. Usually, when things jump from mere crazy to warp-speed insanity I try to speed up, go faster, run harder, and make it all work. It doesn’t work. It never works, but still I try.

This time, I stopped. Feeling like I was standing on the edge finally caused me to hit the pause button. I made the deliberate move to be quiet for a few hours – to rest, be still, and regain my equilibrium.

In those quiet moments, I remembered the wisdom of God. God has a rhythm for our hearts that answers our tendency to live in the whirlwind. It is built into the rising and setting of the sun, the changing of the seasons, and the way our bodies are designed. Work is essential to our well-being, but so is rest. Going fills our days. Stopping fills our souls.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10a.

My Jesus Resolution today is to stop. For a few minutes today, I am going to feed my soul. I am going to be still, and in that stillness renew my awareness of the presence of God. In those quiet moments, I am going to adjust my perspective, reminding my heart that He is mighty, faithful, holy, and loving. He is in control of everything about this day. The only thing left is to let Him be in control of me.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;” – Jeremiah 31:3

God sends great valentines, doesn’t He? Every day is filled with reminders about the depth of His love, the breadth of His delight, and the lengths He is willing to go to make you His own. His valentines come in big packages and small surprises. We can find them in the ordinary rhythm of our days and the special moments that take our breath away. He wraps them up in sunsets and rainbows. He ties them with whispered comfort and a longing for home.

There is a lot of talk around Valentine’s Day about undying love. Valentines fill the shelves that declare this to be the truest definition of love.  Maybe we should define true love by the Love that was willing to die for you on the cross. Jesus said it best. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:13

Look for His valentines today. Imagine every cross you see today with a heart around it. Think of every flower you see today as a bouquet from Him. Let every sweet thing you eat today be a reminder of the sweetness of His grace. Let every day be a day in which you celebrate His love.

My Jesus Resolution today is to count all the valentines God sends my way. I am going to open each one with joy, soaking in all the love that He wants to pour into my heart. I am going to see His hand on my soul, His light in my eyes, and His presence as my greatest gift. Every day is Valentine’s Day with God – a day to remind us of His love and to ask us once again to be His. Enjoy being loved today! His valentines are all around you.

My sons are learning to be door openers. We call them gentlemen-in-training. They have watched their grandfather do it for their grandmother, their dad do it for me, and now they are learning how to open doors for others. It is pretty neat to watch.

They are learning how to open car doors, front doors, garage doors, and store doors. There is a rhythm to learning how to open doors. You have to watch the other person. You have to be aware of how to move the door so that it is easiest for the person you are serving to go in and out. They are learning how to offer their hand or their arm if someone needs a little extra assistance. They are discovering how to pace themselves so that they can walk with someone and put them at ease.

I really can’t think of anything else I would rather my children become than door openers. I want them to be able to open the doors of their hearts and love deeply. I want them to open the doors of their minds and drink in all the rich wisdom of God and the beauty of this world. I want them to open their eyes to the very real presence of God. I want their spirits to be open to the call of God on their lives and their souls to be open to the transformation He wants to work deep within them.

I long for them to be door openers for others as they invite them into God’s grace, to make it easier for someone to come to the cross and stand amazed by the empty tomb, to join in worship, and bow in surrender.

I want the psalmist’s desire to be the desire of their hearts. “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” – Psalm 84:10b

My Jesus Resolution today is to be a door opener. I am going to learn from my sons. I am going to be deliberate about making it easier for someone to see Jesus. I want to open the door into His presence, invite someone to make themselves at home, and show someone the delight of His grace. Opening a door is such a simple thing. Yet, it is a gracious act that shows someone else they are important. Jesus was a door opener. My boys are learning. Now it is my turn.

It had been a very cold couple of days and nights. We had been under hard freeze warnings and the threat of icy weather kept most people inside. We didn’t get the snow we had been hoping for, but a thin coat of ice covered everything.

We live in a place where icicles are a novelty. We stepped outside in the chilly air to take a look. They hung from the branches, from the cars, and from the eaves of the roof. Moisture had left its mark on plants and sidewalks and windows. The temperature hasn’t risen above freezing all day so the ice creates its own art even in the middle of the afternoon.

It was a rose bush that caught my attention. There were no icicles hanging off those branches, but the leaves looked shiny. Closer inspection yielded a treasure – an ice leaf. Water had frozen on the leaf, taking its shape as its own. Lifting the ice off the plant revealed a perfectly formed ice leaf. The veins of the leaf were imprinted in the ice. The shape of the ice perfectly mirrored the shape of the leaf. It is a copy of the leaf done entirely in ice.

I marveled as I held it in my hand. Moisture and cold came together to create beauty in an unlikely place. And I realized I was holding a picture of my heart.

We are supposed to be like that ice leaf. Attached to Jesus, we are meant to take His shape and reflect His image. When people look at us, God wants them to see all the details of Jesus in our lives. He longs for us to mirror His life in every way. As He holds me in His hand, grace and surrender come together to create beauty in an unlikely place. His image in me.

My Jesus Resolution today is to be like an ice leaf. I want the shape of Jesus to be imprinted deep on my heart. I want to cling to Him, holding on to His Word and His love. I want to help others marvel at the possibilities of what walking with God can mean for their own lives.

Last week there was a forecast for snow in Houston. All it takes is the mere mention of the word to send people on the Gulf Coast into a spin. Kids peer out the window, making grand plans about snowmen, snow angels, and snow ball fights. Parents watch the weather reports. Schools close. Businesses shut down. The grocery stores are overrun with people who buy enough stuff to last through a blizzard.

Snow is rare in Houston. It is one of the few places where people actually go outside when the temperatures drop and snow is on the horizon. Kids can grow up here without ever seeing a good snow. Snowflakes falling are enough to cause joy. A little snow covering the ground is greeted with enthusiasm and play.

Snow carries with it a very special picture. God blankets the earth with snow in order to draw our eyes to Himself. Each snowflake holds His fingerprint. Snow resting on branches paints a picture of stark beauty that is meant to impress His beauty on our hearts. But it is the color of snow that is meant to make us smile and bring us to our knees.

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” – Isaiah 1:18

God uses snow to give us a picture of the power of His grace. It is transforming. It is all-encompassing. It changes, shapes, moves, and touches every part of who we are. A forecast for snow in Houston changed the way we moved through the day, the plans we made, the things we bought, the words we spoke, the way we looked at the sky, and the priorities of the moment. How much deeper an impact should the reality of God’s grace have on our hearts?

My Jesus Resolution today is to be thankful for snow. Snow points me to the heart of God. It teaches me about the way He works in my soul. It helps me realign my priorities and examine my heart. I want to be as excited about His grace as my children are about snow. Even if we never see a snowflake, I can be sure that His grace will fall gently on my life, blanketing me with His favor and transforming me with its color and beauty.

It is a very chilly morning. Wrapping up for a pre-dawn walk, I put layers on to keep warm. Experience has taught me that one big coat isn’t the answer. The best way to fight the wintry temperatures is to dress in layers – shirt, polar fleece, and a wind breaker.

Each piece of clothing has a purpose. I wear a long-sleeved running shirt designed to breathe and wick away moisture. The polar fleece is the heater. It traps body heat and insulates against the cold. The wind breaker does what its name implies – it keeps the cold wind out and the warmth in. Together they provide everything I need to brave the elements. Each one by itself would be helpful, but not enough. Warmth and protection are best found in layering the different pieces.

As I was walking this morning, I thought about how the necessity for layers runs deeper than the physical. How much better would I fare in my day if I took the time and thought to dress my soul in layers of prayer, study, and worship? Investing my heart in prayer invites God into my day. It opens my eyes to His presence, humbles my heart, aligns my perspective, and allows me to release the cares and concerns that tend to weigh me down. Study focuses my mind on the purpose for which God draws me near to Himself. Spending time in His Word reminds me of His great love, the power He is willing to pour into my day, and the path He wants me to walk. Worship lifts my eyes, energizes my soul, refreshes my spirit, and connects my heart to His. Each one is wonderful, but it is in layering them that I am able to face the elements in the world.

My Jesus Resolution today is to dress in layers. I am going to take time to pray – for my day, for my family and friends, and for the image of Jesus to take full shape in my life. I am going to open my Bible and fill my heart with His Word. I am going to turn my focus to worship, allowing praise to shape the way I think, see, and talk today. I am going to put them all on and experience the warmth that comes from covering myself completely in Him.

The papers are full of pictures. For days, the news has been running stories, making predictions, and spotlighting people who run. Advice is given about training, loading up on carbs, and the best shoes to wear. People on Facebook have been talking about it for weeks – who’s running, who’s preparing, who’s given up, and who’s shaking their head in disbelief.

It is marathon time. Marathons are long races. Twenty-six point two miles of sheer endurance. Marathons require a commitment beyond the moment. It takes preparation, planning, training, and focus to run a marathon. No one runs a marathon by accident. No one breaks the tape in a marathon without a will to finish what they have begun.

Marathons are great pictures of life. A life of significance doesn’t happen by accident. A life invested in Christ requires discipline, focus, training, and will. It requires taking on the identity of a runner, choosing the running lifestyle, and actually getting out there and running.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Life is a race. Some run the race in order to win something perishable – money, power, fame, friends, education, popularity, or possessions. When we run in Christ, we have a clear picture of the finish line. Seeing His face is our greatest prize. He provides us with companions to run with us along the way. The Holy Spirit serves as our Trainer and Coach. Some days it is easy to run. Other days we can hardly find the strength to put on our shoes. But marathons aren’t won or lost in a single day. Marathons are won by the consistent, daily choice to make running well a goal.

My Jesus Resolution today is to run well. I am going to find joy in running with those who point me to Jesus. I am going to be thankful for the way each step brings me closer to His heart. I don’t want to get caught up in running for a prize that isn’t worth the race. I want to remember why I am running. He will be there when I cross the finish line to welcome me home and say, “Well done.”