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Posted on May 26, 2020 by beverlyeash

The rails to trails is a great use of unused tracks and an excellent resource for communities. Today we walked a portion of our local trail and it was busy with both bike and walking traffic.

Not everyone is a fan of the trails. For some, it means a public trail through the middle of their property. Sometimes houses were built close to the tracks before the home owner knew of the rail to trail initiative. These families aren’t excited about public access so close to their personal residence. I totally get that.

Most of the time, the trails run behind houses, on the edge of properties. This gives every passerby a birds eye view into the secret places of these private properties. The backyard is where people generally put things they don’t want to share with the public. Swimming pools, children’s play yards, gardens, patios and picnic tables are the types of things we tuck away behind our houses. The front yard is reserved for those things that say “welcome,” it is here we put our best foot forward, so to speak.

As I walk the trails, I am mindful that I have visual access to the private spaces of others. It reminds me of an account in scripture.

After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard. One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers. Then Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, and backed into the tent to cover their father. As they did this, they looked the other way so they would not see him naked.

Genesis 9:20-23

Noah unknowingly found himself in a vulnerable position. Ham, who encountered Noah first, went out and told his brothers. The other two, in an effort to protect their father, backed in and covered Noah with a robe. They protected his nakedness. Ham exposed him. Shem and Japheth protected him.

When I am on the trails, I want to protect the nakedness of the land owners who allow the public to use the trail. It means I don’t litter, I don’t go onto their property, I respect the boundaries.

It’s important to do the same with people I meet. There are times I inadvertently learn something about a person – their nakedness is there before me. What will I do? Expose it or protect it? I know what kind of person I want to be, but it isn’t always an easy choice to make.

How about you? Are you careful with what you know about others? Do you protect their vulnerabilities? Or are you quick to share that with someone else, further exposing the individual?

You get to choose. Choose wisely! Just a thought for this Tuesday morning!

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Posted on May 25, 2020 by beverlyeash

Sunday was a beautiful day in northern Indiana; the first really nice day this spring. So, we went for a bike ride. Just as in many other places, our community has turned old railroad tracks into trails so a person can ride for miles on paved trails through woodland, farmland and open meadows.

The roads are intended for bikers, walkers, runners – anyone except motor vehicles and HORSES. It isn’t only restricting horses with single riders, but also buggies pulled by horses.

The sign forbidding horses caught my attention. Quite frankly, I admit if I had a horse I might consider using the trail. After all, it makes getting cross country so much easier. You know, being able to go “as the crow flies” rather than on the county roads. As I rode, I pondered what the tell-tale signs would be if I took a horse on the trail.

First, there would be the horse piles. You know, manure. I figured that could be avoided by attaching a bag to the horse’s tail to catch the poop before it hit the ground. Most obvious problem solved!

Secondly, horseshoes really mess up a paved road. This is evident on most roads in our county due to Amish buggy traffic. This caused me to pause. I couldn’t avoid this certainty. The first time or two down the trail would go unnoticed, unless someone saw me with their eyes. Every time I successfully used the trail without being detected, my courage would grow.

Eventually, I would be forget the cautions. I would forget about the sign that forbid horses on the trail. I would fail to notice the marks the horseshoes made on the paved trail, even when a groove began to form. The presence of the worn path would be all the evidence needed to confirm that I had been on the trail.

As I pondered all this, I realized I sometimes do that in life. Something catches my attention, something that I ought to avoid, but I know I won’t get caught the first time, or maybe even the second time. So, I take the path I should avoid. And every trip down the trail makes marks and my continued behavior creates pathways, easily distinguishable by others. Maybe not right away, but eventually.

My question for today is this: what warning signs or markers have you ignored? You know what you need to avoid so you proceed carefully, avoiding detection. But eventually a trail forms. And that trail exposes your transgression.

It is not too late to turn around, to take a different way, an honorable path. The same principle works in reverse. Every time you make the right choice, it creates another path, a better path. One that you can be proud of and never need to fear exposure.

Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord.

Psalm 25:4-7

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Posted on May 24, 2020 by beverlyeash

Songs sometimes summarize in the best way what I am feeling or wanting to say in the moment. In this moment, I want you to know that you are fully accepted, deeply loved and eternally chosen to be a child of the King. From this place of knowing, you can be everything you were meant to be. This song says it so well! Have a listen and enjoy your Sunday!

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Posted on May 23, 2020 by beverlyeash

The greatest enemy of my personal success is self-talk. That’s what I say to myself that no one else hears but everyone can see because it impacts how I live. I read isolated phrases from scripture, like Philippians 2:3:

…thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Philippians 2:3

and use it to justify putting myself down. My battle begins in the mind.

Paul said in his letter to the church in Corinth that it is necessary to take thoughts captive. Too often, I let them run wild through my mind, set up camp, influence what I believe about myself.

As you begin the holiday weekend, there will be lots of opportunity to interact with family, friends and neighbors – maintaining social distance, of course! 🙂 I encourage you to make your thoughts check in at the gate. Set a sentry there and make the thought defend it’s right to be in your mind. And if any of them make you feel less than a child of the King of the Universe – send them packing!

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5

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Posted on May 22, 2020 by beverlyeash

Learning to care for myself has been a difficult task. I want to avoid self-centered habits. After all, the universe does not revolve around my belly button, no matter how much I might believe the opposite. It seems there is a fine line between boundaries and self-care and self-obsessed living. How do I make the distinction?

Honestly…it’s a tough one. But it’s not for lack of a good example. Again, Jesus is a great role model. How did he care for himself and set good boundaries?

First, he took time away from his disciples and people who really needed him to be refreshed. He knew that his success depended upon staying connected to the Father.

After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

Matthew 14:23

He taught his disciples to do the same. Not only did he take them away from the crowds to teach them, he took them away so they could be refreshed.

Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them.

Mark 9:30-31

Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.

Mark 6:31-32

Jesus also knew when to engage in conversation and when to step away. He wasn’t afraid to set boundaries or walk away from situations that would not bear fruit, even if the questions came from powerful people in his culture.

One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”“Let me ask you a question first,” he replied. “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?” They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.” So they finally replied that they didn’t know. And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Luke 20:1-8

There are many more illustrations of Jesus refusing to be drawn into useless conversations that served no purpose. He also didn’t need to have others recognize his worth and value because his validation came from His Father.

But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people.  No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.

John 2:24-25

Self-care is about knowing when to engage and when to refrain; it’s knowing when to sleep and when to rise; it’s knowing who I am and embracing that person, not waiting for someone else to do it for me.

I am at my best when I take care of myself. It includes the food I eat, how much sleep I get, how I spend free time, the self-talk I allow in my mind, resting in knowing my value and worth is not dependent upon what I accomplish, awards I win, accolades or affirmations from those around me. Is any of this easy? No way. But the fruit it yields in my life is worth the effort.

Entire books have been written on this topic so the point of today is this: take care of yourself. You will be a better mother, father, sister, brother, friend, worker, PERSON! Taking care of me makes it possible to take better care of you. And that’s true for everyone!

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Posted on May 21, 2020 by beverlyeash

Years ago, I found myself involved in a boundary-centered religious setting. The premise of this type of group is boundaries keep us “in” and the bad “out.” It is possible to know who is “in” by observing external behaviors. I am the perfect candidate for this setting because I am also a recovering approval addict. I want to do whatever it takes to make you happy and keep myself in good standing.

I adopted some private mantras that helped to convince me this association was for my best. One of them was this:

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” 

Luke 9:23

In my twisted thinking, I read it like this: “If you want to be pleasing to me, you will give up who you are, take up hard rules, and be my follower.”

From this vantage point, I know that isn’t what Jesus meant. If you read my post yesterday on self-preservation, you might recognize this passage. Jesus goes on to say:

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. 

Luke 9:24-26

When I try to gain right standing with God by following specific rules designed to control sinful behavior, I nullify the work of Jesus on the cross. He came and inhabited a human body, taking on a shameful and humiliating death to restore me into relationship with him. If I can do that by good behavior, he died for nothing.

Taking up my cross must mean something else. So, what does it mean and how does self-sacrifice fit into following Christ?

Self-sacrifice is the opposite side of the self-preservation coin. Following Jesus means I give up what the world can give me in the way of acceptance and promotion based on accomplishments, leaving that to Father. Rather, I live out of who I am created to BE – a daughter of the King. Knowing I am deeply loved, chosen, and protected through my relationship with Jesus, I sacrifically live for Jesus. It means I abandon my own selfish desires and ways of thinking to become like him. Loving God and others deeply because I know I am deeply loved, I sacrifice myself to him.

Paul writes about this very concept in Romans 12. He says it like this:

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. THEN you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (emphasis mine)

Romans 12:1-2

God is concerned with the way I think! He transforms me by changing the way I think about Him, myself and others. When I value what he values, my behaviors will change. I will be more loving, kind and generous. I will be less angry, judgmental and harsh. I will see others as God sees them, created with value and dignity no matter what they may look like on the outside.

Sacrificing who I am is not what Jesus meant when he said I should die to myself. Taking up his cross daily does not mean following a list of rules made for me by muself or others. That isn’t a living and holy sacrifice. It’s slavery.

Self-sacrifice is a pivotal part of following Jesus. As I am transformed into his likeness, I am less concerned about me and what others might think and more concerned with Him and what he thinks. I spend less time promoting myself and more time promoting Him. In the gospels, Jesus often said that he did what His Father told him to do. He wasn’t concerned with what the religious leaders thought of him or if he offended them. He went out of his way to show “sinful” people the way to life. He touched people no one else touched, he talked to people no one else talked to, he stopped for people others passed by. He lived sacrificially.

Have you bought into the idea that who you are isn’t okay and that you need to die to that person? Is self-sacrifice an act of sacrificing who you are to become what you think others want? Jesus loves who you are and accepts you exactly that way. As you come close to him, he will help change the way you think if it needs to be done. As your thinking changes, his will for you and the way forward will open up like the morning sunrise!

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Posted on May 20, 2020 by beverlyeash

Fear motivates me to all kinds of dysfunctional behaviors. When I feel unsafe, I switch into self-preservation mode. It is a natural instinct to protect oneself from harm or destruction. I even see it in my 4 month old granddaughter. When she perceives she is under attack, her eyes flutter, she pulls her head away from the “danger,” her arms come up to shield her from any incoming trouble and, in some cases, she cries. It is natural to protect oneself.

As I mature, I develope more sophisticated methods of self-preservation. Most of the time, the danger is not physical. Something comes that threatens my security socially, emotionally or professionally. These dangers are often unseen and difficult to identify, but they are there nonetheless. I build walls, develop weapons, hone strategies designed to preserve self. Vulnerability and authenticity do not have a place in my arsenal.

Jesus shows us a better way. Although he was completely God, he made himself vulnerable by coming in human form, with all its limitations. Philippians 2:5-8 say it best:

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5-8

I assure you, nothing that I cling to is anywhere close to what Jesus gave up when he came to earth. His willingness to let go of his position so that I might be restored to BEING rather than DOING is beyond my ability to comprehend. But he did it. While this way may seem like social and professional suicide, the benefits far outweighed the loss he experienced. Keep reading in Paul’s letter:

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11

That seems like quite a promotion to me. So many times my actions are motivated by fear of loss. Loss of notoriety, approval, acceptance or advancement that I self-preserve by practicing dishonesty, lack of integrity, hiding, defending, demonizing, building arsenals, grudges, revenge. This way of doing prevents me from really loving myself or others well. In the end, I lose it all.

Jesus said this:

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 

Matthew 16:25-26

The question I ask myself is this: can I trust God with my life for its impact and effect? Can I leave the preservation of who I am to him, giving myself freely to whatever he brings my way? Jesus is the best example of someone who had every right to protect who he was and use his position and power to impress and overwhelm. But because of his deep love for humanity, he laid it all down in exchange for a humiliating death. As a result, he received the highest reward anyone will ever receive.

It’s so natural to protect ourselves, and in some instances, it is the right thing to do. I want to learn to live in an undefended state so that I might be free to love well and experience the very best of what God has for me.

How about you? Are you living in a continual state of self-preservation? Does receiving the best by living vulnerably seem like an oxymoron to you? I invite you to give it a try. You are not on your own and it isn’t a journey you have to figure out. Just tell Father that is what you want and he will show you the way.

And, oh yeah, don’t listen to the voice that tells you it won’t work. He never could tell the truth!

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Posted on May 19, 2020 by beverlyeash

In the beginning, God created. He created a perfect earth where humans would dwell, living in perfect harmony with God, others, the earth and self. And then came the serpent. He asked questions, distorted the truth, causing Adam and Eve to doubt God’s goodness, love, and intention for them. They accepted the lie, believed it as truth, and separated themselves from God’s good plan. They become SELF-reliant, SELF-focused, SELF-sovereign. And in doing so, a vacuum was created that all humans inherit. We were created to live in fullness as human beings, but we traded that for the emptiness of human doings.

Since that time, humans struggle to ease the God-shaped ache in their souls by doing. Rather than relationships of openness and mutuality, preservation and self-reliance are fostered. Rather than a relationship with creation that sustains and nurtures the body, wealth, dominance and possessions are pursued. Rather than acceptance of self just as it is, the constant fear that “I am not enough” runs rampant. Values and standards set by others are readily embraced in an attempt to do enough that we will be stamped WORTHY! ACCEPTED! VALUABLE!

In salvation, God accepts us just as we are and begins the process of remaking us into the people he intends us to be, people in the image of Jesus. He wants to turn our hearts away from ourselves back to him as the source of life. Rather than self-centered existence, he invites us to a Christ-centered existence.

But the serpent still visits us today and fills our minds with lies. Lies that sound true, so we embrace them and live from places of deceit and defeat. Self-preservation is practiced because who else will look out for me? I fear self-sacrifice because I don’t want to be taken advantage of or get behind in the race of life. I forego self-care because it takes too much time, I have FOMO (fear of missing out), or some other misguided idea that a good Christian only thinks about others. (You know that song: J-O-Y, J-O-Y, J-O-Y must be, Jesus first, yourself last, others in between!)

Frankly, I don’t think the serpent cares how he distracts us. He just doesn’t want us to live Christ-centered lives. In the beginning, he convinced humanity they would be better off taking care of themselves. And it continues today.

Scripture says humans were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). It was, and always has been, his plan for humans to be in his image. So, he sent Jesus in the likeness of humans (John 1:14), so he might accomplish what humans were unable to do. That is, say NO to the serpent and to self-centered living. He showed us what it means to live a God-centered life.

If we are to look like Jesus, it is good if we know what that is. How can I emulate someone who is unknown to me? Following are just a few of the passages that tell us the kind of person Jesus is. Becoming like him is a work of the Holy Spirit, our part is vulnerable surrender. For those of us who value individualism and independence, that might be the hardest part.

Regarding self-preservation, scripture says:

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5-8

Regarding self-sacrifice, scripture says:

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 

1 Peter 1:18-19

{Jesus said} “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

John 10:11

Regarding self-care, scripture says:

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Matthew 14:22-23

Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. 

Mark 4:38

Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

John 4:6-8

Jesus also said:

 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Self-centered living exhausts; it is a heavy burden to bear. Jesus invites you to something different, a restful way of living. If you haven’t surrendered your life to him, I invite you to do that today. There are no magic words or incantations to say. It’s as simple as saying, “Jesus, I’m really tired! Help me with this burden!” And he will. He will accept you exactly like you are and then lead you into a life that is full of peace and joy.

If you are already a follower of Jesus, how is the image you present? Do you accurately reflect Jesus? What area is the most difficult for you? Talk to him about that today. He already accepted you just as you are, and he knows about that tough spot. He isn’t surprised, freaked out or turned off by who you are. He loves you.

Until next time…

May the Lord bless you and protect you.

May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.

May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

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Posted on May 18, 2020 by beverlyeash

We are a “self” consumed society. Opening the Google search bar and typing in “self,” resulted in all kinds of interesting options. Self-efficacy, self-actualization, self-esteem, self-sufficient…all focused on understanding our self.

There are books, conferences, studies devoted to understanding our true self, exposing the false self, living from a place of integrity.

All of these have the potential of extreme good, as well as not. I am not against improving oneself or of understanding my true self. I have often written about those very ideas, participating in more than one study of the true self. I fully commend anyone to the exploration of their inner child or true self, exposing false ways of being and harmful, dysfunctional behaviors.

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me an excerpt from a study she participated in on the fruits of the Spirit. In distress because the author stated that a loving person foregoes self-preservation, she questioned her own journey in self-love and self-care.

That started my mind turning. What is self-preservation? Is it different than self-care? Doesn’t scripture say we should love our neighbor as we love ourself? So if I don’t love me, how can I love you? And how does self-sacrifice fit in? What does it mean to take up my cross daily?

Join me this week as I explore these ideas of “self” and maybe even others. But in the meantime, have a blessed Monday. May the Lord bless and keep you, may he turn his face toward you, granting you favor and peace in your day!

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Posted on May 17, 2020 by beverlyeash

Happy Sunday!

Today whether you listen online, take a walk in nature or attend a service in person, my prayer is that you encounter the Living God!

I remind you that we have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind! No matter where your comfort level is in regard to social distancing, it’s okay to be different than your neighbor. Embrace who you are, remember that you are deeply loved and that your choice right now is the best one for you!

May your day be blessed with the presence of the Holy Spirit and your heart be transformed by his touch!

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