Category Archives: Identity and Value

A Note in Your Lunchbox: Giving Thanks in All Things

By Lydia Floren

For years I packed lunches for my husband and kids. Because food is NOT my thing, I tried lots of different ways to streamline this, including making 20+ PB&J sandwiches at a time, and freezing them for the week. That way, all I had to do in the morning rush, was grab one from the freezer and throw it in a box with a few other prepared items. Most days, I tucked a card in each lunch with a Bible verse written on it – a little spiritual refreshment for midday, to go along with the physical nourishment.

Typically, I wrote out these verse cards in the early morning, when the house was still quiet. As I prayed and meditated, preparing for the day, I would ask God to focus me on one particular verse to share, and if there was anything additional He was leading me to share. Then I would pull out my stack of blank cards and start writing. Five cards each day. Twenty-five handwritten cards per week.

Did those verse cards have an impact on my family? Yes, I know they did for 2 reasons: -The kids have told me so. (They still have some of those cards.) -God’s word is powerful. It always has an impact.

Sure, there were some days those notes didn’t get read. But other days, they were read over and over again, and even shared with friends at the lunch table. Samuel says he used to pass them around, so everyone could take a shot at deciphering my handwriting. (Who knew that my doctor-handwriting would have a positive benefit?)

The Power of Habit

Those cards impacted my family, but what I didn’t realize until years later, was how much they influenced me. The practice of writing out 25 verse cards a week enabled God’s truths to penetrate deep into my heart. They pop into my head at unexpected – and timely – moments, blessing me with their God-inspired wisdom.

The Habit of Giving Thanks in All Things

I think there are lots of habits – repetitive choices – that bless our lives, and then keep on blessing us. They start with small decisions in a moment or day, but their cumulative effect is powerful. There are several other such habits that have blessed me like this over the years, but one rises to the top: giving thanks in all things.

Thanksgiving Restores My Joy.

Choosing – repeatedly – to give thanks in all things, changes my perspective. It shifts my focus, from my problems and weakness, to His sufficiency and grace. Thanksgiving also changes my attitude. It refreshes my hope in the future, and strengthens my faith in God’s goodness. Most important, thanksgiving restores my joy. In the practice of thanksgiving, I remember that God is at work, and He does love me and everyone else in the world.

Things to give thanks for:

The last 24 hrs. People and events. God works all things to good.
God, my loving Father
- His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
- His working in my life and in this world, even when I don’t see it.
- His commitment to me personally, to always be with me – within me, to restore my soul every day, to lead me in the way I need to go.
Myself
- The gift of life, and of this day.
- My unique identity, value, belonging, and calling.
- My limitations, and God’s limitlessness.
Others
- Those I know (especially those that are dear to me), and those I don’t know
- Those I will cross paths with
My concerns
- That God knows my concerns before I do, and he will take care of them, and lead me in the next step.
- Perspective: Problems are just opportunities for God’s work to shine.
The next 24 hrs.
- The people and circumstances I will encounter in this day.
- God’s faithfulness to lead me in the way I need to go.
- God will work all things to good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Giving thanks in all things,the habit of thanksgiving, is like writing a note for your lunchbox: a message of hope that seeps into your heart and soul bringing refreshment when you least expect it, and may most need it.

Please share with us: what are you thankful for?

What Makes You Valuable?

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By Lydia Floren

When I meet someone new, I do my best to avoid the fact that I am a physician. (Outside of work, of course. Hard to avoid that fact with a white coat and stethoscope!) I am not ashamed of my profession – far from it – but sometimes, that “MD” can really be a barrier when I am getting to know someone. For example, I can meet a person for the first time, we will be having a wonderful conversation, discovering mutual interests and telling funny stories, but that all changes if, somehow, it gets out that I am a doctor. It’s like a bomb goes off. My new friend will get this look on her face, and then maybe say, “Oh. You’re a doctor?” I’ll nod. “A medical doctor?” I’ll nod again. Silence. Then the questions: “Where do you practice? What kind of doctor are you? How long have you been doing this?”, and so on. In the space of a few moments, I have stopped being a person. I have become a stereotype.

We all identify one other by our roles, and may value each other based on achievement. But what makes you valuable? Secretly, at our core we each long to be understood and appreciated for who we are, not what we do,or who we know, or how much we possess.

This is exactly the way God values us. We don’t have to posture or pretend. He already knows the “real” us – our essence, our core identity. He values us – loves us – not because of our performance, but simply because we are. What a relief! We can finally come in from the cold of competition, and warm our hearts with His loving acceptance. His presence within us enables us to be fully alive, fully ourselves. And full of joy.

In Your presence is fullness of Joy. Psalm 16:11

I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Man looks at the outward things, but God looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

I am fearfully and wonderfully made and my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14

How about you? Do you feel sometimes that your value is based on your achievements or title? Or, the things our culture tells us are valuable? Leave a comment below.

Rest for My Soul

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heavy load

We fail.

We mess up. We make bad decisions, and many times the heavy load we carry is the result of those choices. When we recognize this, we pile on self-condemnation—guilt and shame. Not God, our Loving Father. He opens His arms wide, and says:

Child come here. Put down that heavy load, and climb up in My lap and tell Me all about it. Receive the grace, the forgiveness I so want to give you, and let me release you from your worry. Quit accepting shame, and embrace the freedom-joy of My love once again. Just leave it to Me. I will help you know what to do as you move forward from here.

I will not only show you what to do now, but I will help you learn from this. I can teach you to be free of your compulsions, to see more of the world from My perspective, so you don’t make this same mistake twice. If you choose, My Holy Spirit will do this deep healing in your spirit.

It is so much easier–and more enjoyable–to follow Me when you aren’t carrying unnecessary burdens. The load I give you is quite simple: stay connected with Me. Don’t let anything get in the way of this connection, especially not your mistakes. Don’t let anything keep you from embracing the identity, value, belonging and calling I have given you.

When you stay connected with Me, you will be able to hear my voice and follow where I am leading you to go.

I will show you the next step from here.

What helps you stay connected to God, even in the midst of failure?

By Lydia Floren

Image by woodleywonderworks

Wind Chimes

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My husband Andrew is not materialistic. In fact, for special occasions it is almost impossible find him a gift that he actually wants, and would enjoy. For Andrew, wind chimes is one of those gifts. Over the years, Andrew has collected a set of perfectly harmonized wind chimes in a range of octaves, each carefully hung with the others on our screened porch out back.

In summer, when we practically live outside, those wind chimes give us special pleasure. Some days the chimes only ring an occasional note or two as a breeze wafts through. On windier days they produce a progressing cacophony of sound. First the trees will rustle as the air pushes through them; then the chimes will joyfully clang an answer, sometimes even echoing down the hill with the neighbors’ bells. The sounds ebb and flow, almost like the crashing of waves, but with clear crisp tones—bold, and then quiet. Even though there is no distinct melody or set rhythm, the wind stirs them to make beautiful music.

We are each created to chime–to resonate the reality of God’s presence and love to those around us. When we position ourselves toward the wind, the beauty of God moves through each of us like the wind on a summer day. And as God liberates us from the shackles of our shoulds and oughts, we are free to clang away with joyful abandon, almost like a 2 year old banging on pots and pans.

And God blends the ebb and flow of our clanging into a lovely harmony.

And then He smiles.

Now it’s your turn: When have you seen God moving through you or someone else to bless another person?

windchimes-lg By Lydia Floren

Facing My Failures, Embracing God’s Grace

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It’s hard to see my own shortcomings. I don’t want to look at my ugly wounds. But, if I desire to heal – to be restored – I must first face these flaws. Then, I must be still and allow the Great Physician to free me from the habits-rooted-in-lies that keep me doing the same destructive things over and over. Sometimes God’s knife must go deep – it can’t be helped – to get to the root of the lie. The results are definitely worth it: true healing, and with it, profound joy.

Father, forgive me for my haughtiness, my rudeness, my feeling of superiority, of trying to jockey for position, or importance. Help me to be an instrument of your peace, not of my own pride. Thank you for restoring my soul.

The deeper my soul reaches toward Truth, the more deeply God’s love reaches into me, warming me, like a cup of hot tea on a cool morning. In the safety of His embrace, I can celebrate my God-given identity, value, belonging and calling independent of others’ fluctuating opinions, or influence.

Each time I manage to turn around and face my failures, the brilliance of God’s grace takes me by surprise

Why do I forget this? How can I learn to remember?

Do you ever find yourself running from yourself? What prompts you to remember the brilliance of God’s grace?

We would love to hear from you!

God's grace is brilliant - joy - God's love

Enjoy the Music, and Give Thanks

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Love is spontaneous, but it is not random.

God sees an opportunity: one heart open and willing to give, another heart ready to receive. His Spirit prompts, and we respond. He uses us “in the moment”, to love and encourage someone who crosses our path. And we both are blessed. Occasionally, often after the fact, He will show us what He has been about. And then our joy multiplies.

In those moments, we must remember to give thanks. The practice of thanksgiving acknowledges God at work through us, and keeps us from seeing His work as something we can take credit for. It reminds us that our identity, value, belonging and calling come from Him alone, not from what we do. We are following our Shepherd in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Thanksgiving assures the continued flow of God’s love through us, toward those around us.

give thanks for what God is doing and has done through us

Enjoy God working through you, but make sure you are directing attention and praise – yours and others’ – to Him for what He is doing, not to yourself. You are an instrument, not the musician – a violin, not the maestro. You do not create or play the music. It moves through you.

If you become comfortable receiving accolades, you will start to think that you don’t need the Maestro. You might think you can sit and play a ditty, and expect people’s hearts will be touched and changed. They won’t.

I am the instrument, God is the maestro

Beware of giving yourself pats on the back for God’s work though you. Then, pride multiplies. And a sense of self-sufficiency, and the false belief that you can love, as God calls you to, on your own. Nothing kills the movement of the Spirit in our lives quicker than this kind of attitude.

We must always be careful to give thanks for what God is doing, and has done, through us.

Enjoy the moment. Enjoy the music, and the part you get to play in sharing it with the world.

And, always, always remember to give thanks.

True Peace is the Absence of Fear

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My peace I give to you…

The peace of God is unlike any other that we see on earth. It is not an uneasy truce, or an acquiescence to domination. It is the abiding understanding that our identity, our value, our belonging, and our calling are safe. No person or spiritual force can change this in any way. We can come to God in tears, feeling worthless, or abandoned, or like failures. He reminds us that we are precious. We are His, and we are one of His chosen vehicles for loving the world. We can go into our days with confidence and light hearts. And, we are safe. We are not alone. The God of Peace is with us, within us, and He loves us.

True peace is the absence of fear, and the Presence of God.

He restores my soul. Psalm 23:3

Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. Psalm 126:6

Perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4:18

Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14

Waking Up to Beauty

Yesterday morning I woke up to this:

This morning I woke up to this:

Each view is

breathtaking, dazzling, unique, captivating, lovely.

Created and adored by our Heavenly Father.

Every day, I wake up to me, in my skin, with my unique blend of personality, temperament, gifts, talents, DNA, history. Whether I recognize it or not,

I am

breathtaking, dazzling, unique, captivating, lovely.

I am created and adored by my Heavenly Father.

I am beloved.

You and I

wake up to beauty every day…

and then we open our eyes.

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made and my soul knows it very well.”