Casandra Martin

“…the seriously devout Jews of today still giv[e] thanks to God one hundred times a day.” – Ann Voskamp

I was reading – one of my favorite things to do – and came across this observation. One hundred times a day. I stopped and pondered the magnitude of thanksgiving that pours from lips committed to gratitude one hundred times per day. Do I give thanks that much? Could I? Would I?

One hundred times a day seems overwhelming. It would require a focus and dedication that would occupy the mind and the heart throughout the day. I realized that might not be a bad thing. Gratitude instead of grumpiness. Worship in the place of worry. Jesus occupying my thoughts, shaping my words, and sharpening my vision instead of the television, the radio, or my own misshapen perspective. One hundred times per day.

I decided to do the math. Taking out seven hours for sleeping (probably more a dream than a reality), there are seventeen hours left in the day. Giving thanks one hundred times per day would require gratitude to bubble to the surface six times per hour. Once every ten minutes.

How would I be different if I stopped and gave thanks for the blessings I had experienced in the last ten minutes, every ten minutes, all day long?

My Jesus Resolution is to give thanks one hundred times today. It is a risky challenge, living out I Thessalonians 5:17 so literally. “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I can only imagine how my eyes will be different, how my heart will be softer, how my spirit will be more attuned to His presence, how my worship will be reshaped, how my soul will be transformed. Do I dare give thanks one hundred times a day? Do you? I dare you.

The Celts have a tradition that heaven and earth are only three feet apart, but in the thin places the distance is even smaller. Thin places are spots where the threads between heaven and now are stretched and sheer, allowing us to catch of glimpse of God’s glory. They are the moments when we catch our breath in wonder, and experience the grace-filled reality that fills the other side.

There are thin places in nature. Places of such intense, raw beauty that we can’t help but cover our mouths and stare. Awe makes us rub our eyes as we soak in the splendor of a vista that boldly, persistently proclaims the majesty of God. These are places where it is hard to leave, to tear our eyes away from the truth that God is in this place. We walk away humbled, eyes wide open, our sense of how we fit into the universe realigned. Thin places.

There are thin places in time. Moments when we feel God’s presence in an almost tangible way. Some of these are times of vivid, overwhelming joy. Others are marked by the intensity of grief or pain. Sometimes it is a quiet whisper that catches our ear, encouraging us to stop and pay attention. These thin places in time come like a streak of lightning, illuminating, for just a moment, a different reality than what we usually see. Thin places.

Sometimes thin places are found in people. Someone who shows you Jesus, extends grace, offers a hand, reminds you that you are loved, or helps you take the next step. In watching them walk with God, we catch a glimpse of His face, hear His voice, or feel His love. Spending time with them leaves us both hungry and satisfied. With them, we have moved a little closer to heaven, hearing angel wings. Thin places.

My Jesus Resolution today is to look for a thin place. I am convinced that they permeate our world. Places where we are allowed to see glory, witness majesty, experience beauty, and let heaven touch the here and now. The thinnest place of all is found on a hillside planted with three crosses. The one in the middle holds back the fabric of earth and invites us to peer from this world into the one beyond.

I love church signs. You can tell so much about a church by what they choose to put on their sign. The one that just caught my eye read, “If you want to see God, focus on Jesus.”

I love it. In nine words, this sign sums up the message of the Bible. Jesus came to reveal the Father to the world. He came to show us His heart, give us a glimpse of His glory, and embrace us with His love. His words resonate with the Father’s truth and purpose. His actions reveal the Father’s power and compassion. His movement uncovers the Father’s deep desire to make you His own.

The Hebrew writer put it this way – “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:3). When we focus on Jesus, we are ushered into the radiance of the glory of God.

When we listen to Jesus, we hear the voice of God. When we believe Jesus, we respond to the truth of God. When we follow Jesus, we walk in the will of God. When we surrender to Jesus, we live in the purpose of God. When we focus on Jesus, Jesus tells us that we are able to see the Father.

My Jesus Resolution today is to focus on Jesus. Seeing God is the desire of my heart. I can’t wait to behold His glory, bow before His majesty, and live fully in His presence. Through Jesus, I can do all of those things today. Christ’s character reveals the heart of God. His commands provide a pathway into His presence. His call invites my heart to live in His abundance. Setting my sights on Jesus has the power to open my eyes in ways beyond what I can imagine.

Driving with a GPS is a lesson in faith for me. I turn off the familiar path, following a voice that gives me directions that will take me to my destination. For me, this is an exercise in trust, and it highlights exactly where I struggle in my walk with God. I want to know the ins and outs of every road I am going to take. I want to call the shots about where to turn. I want to make decisions about my direction.

This day found me driving in an unfamiliar part of town. I left the main road, listening to the instructions about where to turn, what path to follow, and when to make lane changes. I was just trying to stay on course when the GPS announced that it was time to turn onto Grace Street.

I couldn’t help but smile. It was a God moment. My thoughts while driving had been overwhelmed by the similarities between driving with a GPS and walking by faith. Now He showed me the blessings of trusting His direction. Follow His lead, and I will always end up on Grace Street.

Grace Street is both our destination, and the road on which we travel when we go with God. It is a place where mistakes are forgiven, wrong turns are corrected, leaky hearts are mended, and flat souls are reinflated. It is a place with room to grow, transformation to be experienced, and wonder waiting around the corner. When we walk in the Way, we will discover that the home for our hearts is located on Grace Street.

My Jesus Resolution today is remember that I live on Grace Street. If I take a wrong turn, I can turn around and find my way back home. I can rest in all that it means to live in a place defined by grace. I can tell others my address, and invite them to come and stay. I am going to trust His lead, follow His direction, and walk in His steps. I may struggle with wanting more control, but I am going to set my heart to listen to His voice and match His moves. A GPS can sometimes send you in the wrong direction, but God’s compass is always set toward Grace Street.

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Have you ever noticed the power of a smile? A simple smile can change everything. It can diffuse a difficult situation, build bridges, overcome language barriers, and bring grace into a dark moment. Smiles help us conquer our fears, touch the heart of another, and create a connection between souls.

I imagine that Jesus smiled….a lot. A smile is a gift of the heart. God created smiles. He wants us to use them. He made us to be a people who share smiles with everyone. We live in a world that is stingy with its smiles. Smiles invite connection. They open the door to conversation, promote transparency, and offer hope. Smiles help to remind us that we don’t walk alone. No matter our background, color, economic status, burdens, or gifts, a smile allows us to see God in the face of another person.

Mother Teresa once said, “Love begins with a smile.” It is a simple act of courage in a world that encourages us to keep to ourselves. It is a ray of sunshine in the darkness, an offer of friendship and unity. Frowns erect fences around our hearts. Smiles are gates, avenues of access and windows into joy.

My Jesus Resolution today is to smile. We are called to a life of love – radical love, outside-the-box love, generous love. A smile is a simple way to step into God’s call to love. I can offer a smile to everyone I meet today. I can smile at my postal carrier, the grocery clerk, my neighbor, the coworker in the next office, and my family. I am going to remember the power God built into a smile and offer each one as an act of worship and thanksgiving. And sometime today, I am going to turn my face toward the heavens, think about Jesus, and smile. I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that God is smiling too.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

                                                                                    – Numbers 6:24-26

Have you noticed all the health foods in the grocery store? Everything these days seems to be marked with a label designed to draw our attention to the nutritional value of the product. Heart-healthy, low cholesterol, reduced sodium, no trans-fats, extra fiber, and no refined sugar food abound on the shelves. Everyone is trying to focus attention on the need to be careful about our physical health and what we put in our bodies.

Today it was the heart-healthy label that caught my attention. Red hearts grace the boxes of items that claim to be heart-friendly. Choosing those products is supposed to be a step in the direction of good health and a longer life.

I wish they had those kinds of labels for things beyond the physical. Wouldn’t it be neat to see a heart-healthy label on a television show or the cover of a book? I wish we could attach them to music labels and internet sites. It would even be helpful to be able to adhere one to certain people. Are they individuals who will help my heart be healthy or someone with whom I should be careful of my exposure?

As important as it is to be physically heart-healthy, it is absolutely vital to be spiritually heart-healthy. We need to be even more careful about what we put into our spirits than we are about what we put into our bodies. We need to read the labels, measure the goodness factor, and use God’s wisdom to help us determine what is best for us.

My Jesus Resolution today is to ask, “Is this heart-healthy?” I am going to examine the things that I put into my heart through the lens of Jesus. I want to know if they are going to help me look like Him. I want to spend time with people who encourage me in the Lord. I want to read books that point my mind to Him. I want to listen to music that lifts my soul in praise. Being heart-healthy is about more than living a longer life. It is about living forever with Him.

They come to her desk every Wednesday, bringing prayer requests and reaching for the hem of His garment. Her transparency shows them the way to Jesus.

It all started with a request from her boss. Can you work late on Wednesday night? “No,” she replied, “I go to Bible study on Wednesday nights.” She could have just let it go at that. She could have stopped, content that she had guarded her time with God from an intrusion by the world. But she didn’t. She took another step, and invited them into His presence

She told her coworkers that this group of Christians prays together on Wednesday nights. Did anybody have anything for which they would like for them to pray? Notes were pressed into her hand. Messages were left on her desk. And God began to work.

Every Wednesday, this special Christian lady collects prayers. She gathers hurts, struggles, heartaches, and tears and carries them from her office to a group of believers committed to taking them to the throne of God. In her office, she is known as the prayer lady. Her compassion and love have given the people in her office a way to trace the hand of God on their lives. The faithfulness of these praying Christians provides a powerful testimony about the faithfulness of God, pointing these hearts to Jesus every time they fold their hands and bow their heads.

My Jesus Resolution today is to take the extra step. I am going to look for an opportunity to invite someone to walk with me into the presence of God. Maybe it will be a chance to bestow a blessing on someone’s day. Perhaps it will be a moment to show someone the power of prayer. I am going to watch for an open door to open the Bible, mention the name of Jesus, or extend grace in a way that points someone to the cross. Jesus went out of His way to show God to those around Him. I want to be like my friend. I want to be like Jesus. I want people to know that when they come to me, I will take them to Him.

She just turned three. The weeks before her birthday were spent dreaming about her party. Presents, balloons, and friends filled her imagination as she excitedly waited for the big day.

Preparing for the celebration, her mom asked her what kind of party she wanted to have. She expected her to pick a princess or a popular character party. Instead, she got an amazing answer. “I want a John the Baptist party,” the little girl exclaimed.

There are so many things that I love about her answer. This little girl chose someone from the Bible to be her hero. When she wanted a theme to set the tone for her party, she picked someone who dedicated himself to pointing others to Jesus. It didn’t matter that he wore funny clothes and ate bugs. He was God’s man, and she wanted him at the center of her special day.

The star in this story is her mom. Quietly, she has embedded the story of Jesus in her daughter’s life. At a very early age, she has managed to give her daughter eyes to see hearts that respond to who God is and who listen to His call on their lives. The stories in the Bible are more than just stories to this little girl. They are real and more compelling than the glittering glamour of the figures we usually hold up before our children.

The little girl did indeed have a John the Baptist birthday party. Her mom didn’t try to talk her out of it. She didn’t push for the easier convenience of a prepackaged party. She went out of her way to have a cake made, complete with John the Baptist, dressed in camel’s hair, standing in the Jordan River.

My Jesus Resolution today is to pick someone from the Bible and celebrate. Maybe I will walk with Ruth today and learn from her choices. Perhaps I will spend the day with Joshua and Caleb exploring what it means to live in God’s promises. I would love to stand with Moses on the mountain, walk with Peter on the water, and run with Elijah as he races a chariot. I don’t want to look to the world for my heroes. The Bible is filled with people who challenge me to look more like Jesus. Maybe I will start with John the Baptist.

I am a worrier. I try not to be. I sink a little bit in my chair every time I read Paul’s advice to “not be anxious about anything.” (Philippians 4:6)  But worry happens. It sneaks up on me, grabbing my heart, pulling at my thoughts, and stealing my peace.

I could tell you that I come from a long line of worriers, and that would be true. I could settle for the reality that just about everyone I know wrestles with worry, content to be a part of the crowd. Worry almost seems inevitable, and I sometimes wonder if it is realistic to imagine living a life that doesn’t have worry worming around the edges.

The reality of learning to look like Jesus calls my heart to transform the way I look at worry. God wants to change how we respond to worry. In the moment when we begin to worry, we have a choice. We tend to see worry like a battering ram that pushes against our faith. Too often, we feel helpless to stop the pounding it gives us.

What if, instead, we viewed worry like an alarm clock? An alarm clock serves to wake us up. It redirects our attention and activity. It acts as a reminder and helps us stay on course. Craig Groeschel writes, “Worry then becomes a signal alerting us that it’s time to pray.” (The Christian Atheist p96)

My Jesus Resolution today is to let God speak through my worry. Worry doesn’t have to overwhelm me or overflow into everything I do. Worry can be an alarm that redirects my attention back to God. Rather than letting worry use up my energy, time, and hope, I can use worry to help me burrow more deeply into His grace and protection. I am going to choose to listen to worry only so far as it reminds me that I need to retune my heart to the voice of the Lord. I am going to let my burdens bend my knees in prayer. I am going to let anxiety unleash an avalanche of praise. I am going to let worry be an alarm clock that opens my eyes to God’s presence.

He is just a little guy. He joined the bigger kids and began singing with all his heart. The words to “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart” echoed across the room. Shouts of “Where?” collided with smiles as the crowd encouraged the children to sing about Jesus.

It wasn’t long until his little feet were flying as fast as his hands to the beat of the song. Joy wasn’t just heard in the music. Joy was the expression on his face. They finished singing the song, but he wasn’t done. “Jesus isn’t just in my heart,” he said. “Jesus is in my shoes.”

Is Jesus in your shoes? I love the fact that this little guy understands the importance of letting Christ inhabit every part and piece of his life. Too often, we want to confine Jesus to the comfortable, convenient places in our lives. We limit Him to the spaces that are cleaned up and under control, or the places where His presence won’t require too much surrender. We let Jesus into our Sundays, but what about Tuesdays? We invite Him into our struggles, but leave Him out of our play times. We call on Him when we have a need, but figure that we can handle the ordinary, regular stuff on our own. We ask Him to sit with us when we read our Bibles, but would rather watch television by ourselves. We give Him a place in our hearts, but don’t want Him walking in our shoes.

My Jesus Resolution today is to look at my shoes. I want Jesus to walk in my shoes. I want Him to direct my steps, guide my path, and teach me to follow His footprints. I want to be able to look at every part of my life and see Jesus. I long for Him to inhabit my heart, fill my soul, govern my mind, and control my strength. Joy isn’t just a word in a song. It is the evidence of His presence in my life. Every time you look at your feet today, ask yourself – Is Jesus in my shoes?