All Like Sheep

Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all have wandered away like sheep; each of us has gone his own way.” You wouldn’t think sheep would be obstinate. Of all God’s animals, the sheep is the least able to take care of himself. Sheep are dumb. Have you ever met a sheep trainer? Ever seen sheep tricks? Know anyone who’s taught his sheep to roll over? No. Sheep are just too dumb.

When David said in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” couldn’t he have come up with a better metaphor than a Shepherd for sheep? When David, who was a warrior and ambassador for God, searched for an illustration of God, he remembered his days as a shepherd. He remembered how he lavished attention on the sheep. How he watched over them. David rejoiced to say, “The Lord is my Shepherd” and in doing so, he proudly proclaimed, “I am His sheep!”From Traveling Light

Transition Takes You Higher

JOY STRANG

 

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(Justin Hobson)

Nothing in life is certain except for death, taxes—and change. God never changes, but we do. Through sanctification we are transformed from sinful, carnal creatures into the image of God’s Son.

Becoming like Jesus requires a lot of change—and often involves difficult periods of transition.

Transition can take many forms. It can be like the transition during labor—intense pain followed by a clear reward. Or it can be like the momentary transition that takes place when you switch gears in a car to face the challenge of the road ahead.

For an instant you are between gears and though the engine is roaring, you have no control. You may not know what the road ahead is like or whether you even want to move to a higher level. But when the shift occurs, you are connected once again with the power of the engine and are translated into a higher level of operation—the next gear.

Boomerang Kids and Empty Nest

It has been only one month since I’ve experienced the “EMPTY NEST” transition.  I knew in my heart that my 28 year old daughter needed her own adult space and a sense that her life was moving to a new level. Other friends her age were making changes in their lives. I didn’t want her to be left behind on our television couch with the remote control in her hand. I wanted her to feel a different kind of control, one that brought a rush of excitement from four walls she could call her own and the satisfaction of balancing real life responsibilities.

We spent several weeks together looking for a place that felt like it might be not too far or well located.  That process in itself bonded us more closely, gave us time to talk and laugh about moving out. Yes, we worried about the finances, but these would be inevitable and secondary to the need for a change that would make her feel like she was moving forward. 

Seven years prior to this recent empty nest change, we had the BOOMERANG kid returning home after her graduation from college.  Like many families, we knew this stage would be the safety net she needed to become not only economically independent, but also emotionally ready to decide when and where she would become an adult woman on her own.