Through Rose-Colored Glasses

Lessons in Vision, Part Four

A couple weeks ago, my 7-year old niece Vanessa and I were getting bundled up to spend some quality time together outside. It had already snowed about 9 inches, and was still snowing. Because it was really bright outside, I wore my sunglasses. (If you look at this picture of us, you can see them on top of my head.)
 

We walked through the snow for about 20 minutes, and made it to the park. After swinging on the swings for a bit together, I took my sunglasses off so I could take a few pictures.

When Vanessa asked if she could wear my sunglasses, I didn’t hesitate to give them to her. Seconds after she put them on, with surprise in her voice, she dramatically said, “Auntie Jenn, these glasses make everything look so different! Everything is so pretty! I feel like I am looking at Heaven!”

She was so cute that I literally laughed out loud at her reaction!

She looked around for another minute, then gave them back and continued playing.

A little while later, I asked her if she wanted to wear them again. She said, “Nah. It makes things pretty, but I want to see how they really look instead.”

Her reaction to seeing things through those sunglasses has come to my mind several times since then.
It made me think of the Biblical applications to that cliché expression about “Rose-Colored Glasses”.
When someone thinks about or looks at something with rose-colored glasses, it means they are seeing things as better than they actually are. You see the beauty, but not the truth. You are making a choice to not accept what is true because it’s easier than taking an honest look inside.

So, I’m encouraging each of us today to CHECK YOUR VISION! Are you looking at things in your life through Rose-Colored Glasses? Many of us feel like, “No, I’m doing alright. I love God and I basically keep the 10 commandments. I haven’t done anything really bad.” But, the truth is that God sees sin as SIN. There is really no difference between a tiny white lie or murder. In fact, Scripture says that if we even hate others, we are guilty of murder.
I John 3:14-15 “We know that we have left our old dead condition and entered into new life. We know it because we love one another. Those who do not are still living in their old condition. Those who hate their brothers and sisters are murderers and do not have eternal life in them.”

It is SO easy to slip on those rosy glasses and not recognize the sins we are committing. But, we NEED TO TAKE THE GLASSES OFF, because those sins keep us from true fellowship with God! But, if we choose to recognize them, repent, and move forward, making changes with God’s strength, we will remain in His love and have joy overflowing.
John 15:10-11 says, “When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”

Here is a list of reality checks for each of us:

• How competitive are you? Does it bother you when someone else wins? = Jealousy
• Have you not done something that you said you would, or broken agreements you have made? = Hypocrisy
• Do you remember to say “thank you” to others and to God? = Ungrateful
• Have you thought “it just isn’t fair, that they…?” = Envy
• Do you throw out insults instead of encouraging others? = Malicious
• Are you afraid how circumstances will turn out? = Worry
• Do you find yourself snapping at others or holding onto something another has done to you? = Bitterness
• Do you use “Oh my God,” or in text “omg” instead of only using His name reverently? = Taking the Lord’s Name in Vain
• Have you taken something that isn’t yours at work, like food from the fridge or office supplies? = Stealing
• Have you found yourself saying something harmful about someone else, maybe saying things that don’t know for sure are true? = Blaspheming
• Have you complained about something that someone else did without knowing why they really did it? = Slander
• Do you only tell half the truth sometimes or leave things out on purpose? = Lying

I want to encourage you to quiet yourself before the Lord. Ask Him to reveal to you any areas of your life where you are not being honest with yourself. Listen for His still small voice. He will help you to take off those rosy glasses to see what you need to change.
     Sometimes, He will do this through His Words in Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
     Sometimes God will use other people in your life. 2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “So we are Christ's official messengers. It is as if God were making his appeal through us. Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do. Come back to God!”

SO ~ my brothers and sisters in Christ ~ I want to leave you with a verse of encouragement. Although it is Paul writing to Timothy, we know and believe that it is the inspired Word of God, and is still for each of us today. 1 Timothy 6:11 says “Run away from all of those things. Try hard to do what is right and godly. Have faith, love and gentleness. Hold on to what you believe.”

(I just HAD to add this photo of Vanessa here! 

It's from this past summer...she's SO cute!) 

“Marco!”…. “Polo!”

Lessons in Vision, Part Three

With my eyes tightly closed, I stood perfectly still and shouted, “Marco!”

Their response came immediately, “Polo!”

“Marco!!” I repeated.
“Polo!” THEY repeated.
I slowly walked forward, through the waist deep water, with my arms held straight out in front of me. From different directions around me I heard: giggles, whispers, and small splashes of the pool water… Where were they?

When playing that pool game, I'd say that it's MORE fun to be the ones “Marco” is trying to find than to be blindly searching for the others. Wouldn't you agree?


I am SO glad that we do not need to blindly search for God, like in that Marco Polo game! There are so many promises in the Bible that God is with us always, that He will never leave us, and that He will be found by us when we seek Him.
Those promises are always a huge comfort to read and remember!

Recently though, I was reminded of the story from Luke 24:13-35. It is about two followers of Jesus, who are walking along the road to Emmaus, just a couple days after Jesus was crucified on the cross. Verses 15 and 16 say that when they were talking about the events of the past couple days, “Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them. But God kept them from recognizing Him.”


So, sometimes, we do not recognize Jesus, even though He is right there with us!
To be completely honest with you, this is something I am recently walking through, in my desire to be more involved in world missions ~ my head KNOWS that God is still working in my life. But, I seem to be in a holding pattern, and find myself wishing God would just tell me which path He wants to walk along with me. It FEELS like I am playing “Marco Polo” with God ~ but, feelings lie!!!


What about you? Are you searching for God in the midst of it all? Have you been struggling through something? Are you calling to Him while wondering, “God, where are you?”
Two questions we need to ask are:
1. How often is Jesus in the midst of it all, in my life, and yet I do not recognize Him?
2. Am I looking FOR Him and TO Him in the midst of it all?


He is not seen in a downwards vision!
We will not see Christ if we are looking down in discouragement! Every day, we need to decide to look UP! This means we need to focus on our blessings and depend fully on His help! He is asking, “Are you going to quit, or are you going to trust me?” It is our responsibility to make the CHOICE to look up!
He is not seen in a backwards vision!
Some of us get stuck by the “good old days” or stuck by regrets from the past. Instead, only look backwards to see where He has brought us from and how faithful He has been. Then, He will help us become unstuck and be able to look forward to where He is taking us.
Jesus is seen in the attentive gaze!
We need to recognize and live connected to the fact that we serve a risen Savior! Every day, we need to make the choice to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and the truth of His Word. We cannot let distracting debris get in our way. He can give us victory over the spiritual attacks of the enemy! Whether we feel like it or not, out of obedience, our vision needs to be focused on Christ alone!
REMEMBER Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes only on Jesus, the champion who began our faith and makes it perfect. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor at the right side of God’s throne."


So, I want to encourage you to LOOK FOR Jesus and LOOK TO Jesus in your daily life. What has He blessed you with? What has He protected you from? What doors has He opened for you? Who has he brought into your day that you can share Him with?


Ask yourself ~ Are you daily depending on His strength and His guidance?
Or, are you trying to do it on your own, finding your own way…blindly playing Marco Polo?

My New “Corrective Lenses”

Lessons in Vision, Part Two

A couple months ago, the eye-doctor gave me a prescription for glasses. She had actually given me the same prescription at my last visit, 2 years earlier, but I had decided not to get them. That was mainly because, it seemed to me, my vision was just fine. This time though, I considered the doctor’s advice and got the glasses.

Four things the doctor told me that day stuck with me:

1. It was my choice whether or not to get glasses.

2. It would be such a small prescription, that the change would be barely noticeable.

3. She warned me that once I put them on, things might look like they were coming at me faster.

4. She warned me until I got used to them, that I would need to be careful walking while wearing them, especially walking up or down steps.

I’m not too proud to be honest here ~ so, yes, I’ll admit it ~ I actually tripped in the parking lot, as I wore the glasses out of the store!

Wearing those glasses just made my surroundings LOOK different!

* It LOOKED LIKE the ground was higher!

* It LOOKED LIKE I needed to lift my foot higher as I stepped.

* When I was driving home, the street signs LOOKED LIKE someone had redone them in a bolder print.

Obviously though, even though it LOOKED LIKE things had changed, nothing at all had actually changed. Those glasses just allowed me to see things as they really were.

This experience reminded me of a verse I had memorized as a child. First Corinthians 13:12 says, “Now we see things imperfectly. It is as if we are seeing them in a cloudy mirror. But someday we will see clearly, with perfect clarity. We will see face to face. All that I know now is partial and incomplete. But someday I will know completely, just as God knows me completely.”

Because we live in a fallen, sinful world, we are all in one of 3 places right now:

1. heading into a difficult circumstance

2. in the midst of a difficult circumstance right now

3. just coming out of a difficult circumstance

But, I want to challenge you to check your vision!

Remember how my surroundings LOOKED different, once I put those new glasses on? It was once the glasses were on, that I actually saw things as they really were!

Well, in the same way, our circumstances will look different when we focus our vision on how mighty God is!

* Don’t focus on the impossibilities, instead, focus on His miraculous power!

* Don’t focus on the size of the problem, instead, focus on the size of the problem solver!

* Don’t focus on the doubts that the enemy brings, instead, focus on the promises of our faithful God!

More than once recently I’ve been reminded that we do not get to see the whole picture that God has planned for us! We need to be okay with not knowing. The only way to be okay with it, is to trust Him! That verse in I Corinthians 13 reminds us that one day, we will see clearly, and know, and understand...Meanwhile, brothers and sisters, CHOOSE every day, moment by moment, to trust Him!

Check your vision!

Where Is Your Focus?

Lessons in Vision, Part One

Have you heard this while driving? “Keep your eyes on the road!!!!” On the other hand, maybe you have shouted it at someone while you were a passenger?

I want to invite you to take a road trip with me for a minute here as you read…Ok, hop in! 

Now, if you picture what your eyes see while you are driving, there are three basic views:
1. Straight ahead of you is where you will soon be.
2. Out the side window is what you are currently passing by.
3. In the rearview mirror is where you have come from.


A safe driver is completely aware of what is happening all around them, while they stay focused on the road straight ahead.
Of course, it is also important to use those other views too. Rearview and side mirrors help you get ready to pass someone and help you to reverse into a parking spot. And, you look out the side windows before you make a turn.
But, IF a driver focuses on any one of those views for too long, they quickly become an unsafe driver!
Are you still with me?


Okay, so once upon a time, I had an inspiring poster that said:
My name is “I am” ~ Don’t look for me in the past, I am not called “I was” ~ Don’t look for me in the future, for I am not called “what will be” ~ My name is “I am”.
That poster was probably based on Exodus 3:13-15: God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' …This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.”


For me, personally, this translates into:
1. It is not healthy to focus mainly on the past. There is nothing I can do now to change my past. There is no use regretting my past because it made me who I am today.
2. It is not healthy to focus mainly on the future. There is no sense in being worried about what is next, because we do not know what tomorrow holds. There is no way I can know God’s plans for every step of my future.
3. It IS healthy to focus mainly on today. I need to live one day at a time. I need to use these 24 hours to the best of my ability.


Hebrews 13:8 is the promise that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
  * This means that the God who was faithful to keep Noah’s family safe on that ark will still be faithful to you and me!
  * This means that the God who forgave Peter, who had denied Him 3 times, will still forgive you and me!
  * This means that the God who lovingly chastened Jonah and gave him a second chance, will still act lovingly with you and me!
  * This means that the God who met the needs of the 5,000 with 5 little loaves and 2 fish will still miraculously provide for you and me!

I want to encourage you to check your vision!
Recognize, that although it is good to remember God’s faithfulness to us in the past and to be hopeful about His plans for our future, it is best for our focus to be on just walking in-step with Him today!
I know that no matter what challenging circumstances I might face today, it is my goal to keep focused on the promise that He is the same faithful, forgiving, loving God who provides for all our needs yesterday, today, and tomorrow!

PLEASE ~ continue to keep my ministry in your prayers!  I am still substitute teaching a day or two a week.  This week, I am scheduled for 3 days.  I am trying to be a Godly blessing to the kids and to the teachers.  That requires a LOT of dependence on God.  Thankfully, when we are weak, He is strong!  :)     

True Love From Above

For those in a relationship, Valentine’s Day is a special occasion that celebrates the love you have for your significant other. 

But, if you are single like me, Valentine’s Day can become a nasty, nagging reminder that you are all alone.  I heard a line in a movie today that said, “If we are all alone, then we are all together in that too.”

I've heard it said, "There's a God-shaped hole in each of us that no one else can fill."  God's Word reminds us that God IS love ~ and He created us to love and to be loved.  I Peter 4:8 says, “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other. Love makes up for many of your faults.”

To keep all of us focused on True Love From Above, I am posting a poem that I wrote in 1999, followed by a few verses about love.  So, whether you are in a loving, committed relationship, or whether you are single and wishing they would just take Valentine’s Day off the calendar, I hope this poem and the verses are an encouragement to you!

True Love From Above

This year, to celebrate Valentine’s Day,

I want to take a moment now and say…

You, yes YOU, are a very special person!

No one else is just like you, no not one!

I genuinely care about what happens to you;

And I want to reunite with you one day in Heaven too!

So, during this special commemoration of love,

I’ll remind you how God sent down His Son from above.

“So that none would be lost, but would have eternal life.”

Jesus died, after much pain for you, He gave up His own life.

I hope you have chosen to accept this persona gift from Him.

There’s no better feeling that having your wrongs forgiven!

This here is simply one day our society has set aside;

Though we should daily tell others what we feel inside!

We are told to “encourage and lift up each other”

Whether stranger, parent, friend, enemy, brother…

God loves each of us the same no matter what we do;

He won’t love you any more or less, this is true.

Love is not merely a feeling, it is a choice!

Let’s express our love through actions, not just our voice.

The Bible tells us that “God IS love!”

So, let us show each other this true love from above!

Written by our Loving Creator & Jennifer Noll, February 9, 1999

*  Titus 2:7 You must be an example of good deeds of every kind. Let all you do reflect your love of the truth. Show that you are serious about it.
*  II Corinthians 3:18 We Christians have no veil over our faces, we reflect the wonderful things of the Lord. As God works in us, we become more like Him.
*  Luke 6:37 Never criticize or condemn. If you do, it will all come back to you. Go easy on others, then they will do the same for you.
*  Ephesians 4:29-32 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them…Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander. Stop all fighting and lying. Put away every form of hatred. Instead, be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you.
*  I Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

PLEASE ~ put me on your prayer list, as I am still in the process of becoming a short-term missionary! 
I've been offered positions in 2 different countries from one mission organization.  I'm waiting to hear back from another mission organization.  And, I'm waiting to hear back from my missionary contacts in Guatemala, where I volunteered a few summers ago.  Please pray for wisdom, as I make some tough decisions.