What Brings You Comfort?

So, I'm thinking about comfort today.

Why? Because I'm working on Chapter 2 of my next book--the one about breakups and how to get over them. I love the word "comfort" because it's so, well, comforting. To me it conjures up images of sleeping in late and snuggling up with a plush warm, down comforter. Or drinking a fresh, hot caramel latte. Or sitting by a crackling fire in an overstuffed chair while the rain pours and the thunder rolls overhead.

What brings you comfort? Traditional comfort foods like mac and cheese? Brownies? Mashed potatoes? How about a therapeutic massage to relax and restore tired muscles? Many people love the full sound of their favorite music resonating throughout the house. A hug. A smile from a friend. A phone call from someone who is really good at cheering you up. All comfort things. All good.

One night, months after a traumatic breakup, I wondered what the Bible said about comfort so I got out my concordance and looked up every single reference to comfort in the entire book! There's like over 70 verses about it! And here I learned that the greatest Comforter of all was pouring out love, nurture, wisdom and all I needed to hear: like his unfailing love is my comfort (Psalm 119:76) and his rod and staff (his protection and direction) comfort me (Psalm 23:4).

How do you nuture your soul, as well as your mind and body? What brings you the most comfort when you need heart healing? Think about it. And when your next disappointment or down day comes, you'll be ready. As for me, hand me another caramel latte--and my Bible. My Comforter is waiting.

Happy Spring!

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. Song of Solomon 2:11, 12

Walking in Trust

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Celebrating the Heart Holiday

We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)


It’s the heart holiday again this weekend. The retail world is replete with red decorations and the relationship world is ripe with expectations.

Why do we celebrate this day of love? Legend has it that we commemorate Valentine’s Day (or technically, St. Valentine’s Day) because of a long ago Christian martyr named Valentine, and somewhere around the Middle Ages a man name Chaucer began the association with romantic love. Today about a billion valentines are sent each year across the world, according to the U.S. Greeting Card Association. Who knew?

If you have a special someone, you may be in a quandary as to what to give or what you will get this year. Flowers? Candy? Jewelry? A trip to the Bahamas?

Yeah.

Those of us in the single world, at least the ones without a significant other on February 14, have a choice to make. You could shrug it off as a “Hallmark holiday” and coolly declare that it doesn’t matter and you don’t care. Or, you could bemoan your single status and cry over your favorite comfort food and watch chick flicks.

However, you could choose to celebrate Love in a different way.

How about soaking up love from the One who loves you the most? Seriously. God’s love is the most amazing and lasting love you will ever have. Over and over he demonstrates his care. God attributes are myriad; here are a few of them:

He is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9)

He is good (Psalm 100:5)

He is gracious and merciful (Psalm 145:8-9)

He is reliable (1 John 4:16)

He is wise (Proverbs 3:19)

He guides us (Proverbs 3:5-6)

He protects (Psalm 91:14)

His presence brings joy! (Psalm 16:11)

God is love (John 3:16 and 1 John 4:8)

Wow. Think about that for a while. Unconditional love. Total Acceptance.

In addition to God’s love, how about celebrating the other kinds of love you have in your life? Like the love of friendship, the love of family, or the love of your pet? Some women I know hold an annual Valentine’s Day lunch for their single women friends. They celebrate friendship love and have a good time eating, laughing and enjoying each other.

Here’s a radical idea: how about choosing to love your self on the heart holiday? Think about making some “Valentine’s Day Resolutions.” They’re like New Year’s resolutions, but they may have a more I-can-do-this stickiness factor to carry them out because they are based on loving yourself.

For example, you could decide to love yourself enough to: realize your true worth and value comes from God, not what others say about you…finally lose weight…make that phone call you’ve been putting off…send a hello email or letter to your parents and get reconnected…take a much needed vacation or even a day off…go to bed earlier and get the rest you need…fill in the blank here for what you need the most.

No valentine this year? No worries. You’ve already got the Love you need. Let’s celebrate!

Give to Live

“Some people go through life trying to find out what the world holds for them, only to find out too late that it’s what they bring to the world that really counts." -- Anne of Green Gables

Sunday Stuff and the Rest of It

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5

Bears have the right idea: put on a fur coat and sleep for three months in winter. While, I won’t be snoozing for 12 weeks any time soon, I am a big proponent of rest these days. Maybe it’s because most of us work hard during the week and need to get refreshed on the weekends, but we don’t.

Life, I’ve discovered, is not an endless loop of work, chores and errands. Rest, fun and play are essential. Many times weekends or evenings are taken up with things we HAVE TO do. The hafta’s get us much of the time. We have to go to the grocery store—eveyone’s gotta eat! We have to get gas for the car, take in the dry cleaning, get the car washed, get an oil change, and, oh, get a birthday card for your best friend. Or you need to take the dog for a walk, call your parents, do your laundry, pay your bills, clean the house, and…the list goes on.

Hey, I’m all for getting stuff done. I’m a big make-a-list-person and love making check marks when I’ve completed a task. But everyone needs time away from the have to, ought to, musts and should’s. If we don’t, we will be tired all the time and we will be foolish.

Jesus himself said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). He is the One in whom we find real rest. Talk to Him, and listen. Soak up the truth like the moon soaks up the light of the sun, and then shine! Radiate light, hope and love in your corner of the world.

This week, think about one thing you can do differently to refresh your spirit and nurture your body and strengthen your life. Here are a few ideas:

take a nap
sit by a fireplace fire
read the Sunday paper
relax in a warm tub
have a prayer time
have some friends over for games
sleep in
watch the sun set
read a new book
hang out at your favorite coffee place
call an old friend
read a magazine
find a new recipe and make it
put on a worship CD
watch a movie that you want to watch
count your blessings
and be thankful.

Renew, restore, refresh. Your body—and your life—will thank you.

A Time to Awaken

Arise

Snowfall on tall pines,
Sunrise and stirring
Of quiet and big dreams
As a new year awakens.

Dark-covered winter with
Dormant believing
Leads joyfully into
Spring’s hope-filled returning

When flowers and faith
Resurrect from earth’s slumber
Alive and reminded
Of God’s faithful goodness.

-- Jackie Johnson