“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Your Blooming Dreams
Dear God-Sized Dreamer, When fear screams as loud as your dreams, drink Him in. He will brighten you. Your Creator is a dreamer too. He “gets” you and He wants to work with you. The soil is tough, but the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead, breathes in you. He is your whole reason to dream. The One who holds you will bring it to pass in due season. [box] “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” …
Wake Up Call
[box] “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.” Psalm 33:1 NIV[/box] So your alarm clock goes off. It feels like the middle of the night. But your pastor challenged you to start your day with joyful praise. Before saying anything else, (“Honey, you stole the sheets!”) you want to say, “Good morning, Jesus!” At least you thought you wanted to say it (the night before); but now that you’ve finally pried open your eyes, (and yawned so loud that you woke up your husband beneath all those sheets), you think, “who’s …
And The Lord Says…
I awaken in the middle of the night, fear-struck and wondering, “How will I finish this task when it’s so much bigger than I am?” And the Lord says, “Nothing is bigger than I AM.” Hovering close, His feathery Spirit slips truth into my worry-weighted one. In healing waves, He pours Himself, freely. So what can I do but freely receive… [box] My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9[/box] Lord, it’s a battle, this worry habit. After so many years of practice, I wonder if I’m too good at it. “Practice letting …
Goodbye Fear, Goodbye Yaps
“Fear hangs out right next to whatever it is you’re most called to do. That means the closer you get to your calling, the louder fear sounds. Keep going – fear is a chihuahua that sounds like a Doberman.” — You’re Made for a God-sized Dream My chihuahua is “Yaps” because he never shuts up. Well, I have a few words for ol’ Yaps – if y’all don’t mind the accent. (I just got back from da South and dis one ‘ere kinda stuck wid me.) Yaps, we’re through. It’s ova! Ya had me going fer a while, wid all …
Poem For God-Sized Dreamers
Dream a dream. A God-sized dream. But never dream alone. Link hearts with God, your dream-Maker, in every dream-seed sown. That hope he planted in your heart to do that God-sized thing~ Keep dousing it with prayer and work, and watch your dream take wing. The path of dark and dirty soil may hide you long and low, but deep in Christ, you’re safe to trust He’ll grace you as you grow. A little here, a little there, as days and nights accrue, your heart will beat as one with His. There’s nothing you can’t do. …
Destiny Song
Hey friend! Every now and then I like to write a random song and pray it blesses you. This one flowed quickly and effortlessly. I simply sang it out and jotted it down. Maybe that’s why I’m a little nervous to share it here right now. When I’m tired. When I’ve already taken a lot of risks this week (already met my risk quota). But amidst the busyness of my new book project, I’ve missed you and I’ve wanted to share at least one new thing God slipped in my heart. So here goes… However this finds …
Happy Light Year!
My candles flicker bits of shadows on my husband and kids around the table. I burst with God-dreams for each of us, hoping our family will spill out and reach more people with the hope that once reached us. Sometimes I think time’s richer than money, and I grieve how it’s stolen and wasted on willy-nilly pursuits. Then I remember how each new year brims with fresh possibility. What will I do differently as I partner with Jesus? Wanting my dreams and passions to match His, I dwell on Matthew 5:14. [box] “You are the light of the world.” [/box] …
Smells and Whistles
Something smelled horrible as I started the treadmill at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center. Sweat times a thousand! Was it coming from the carpet? From the men dripping beside me? I could hardly stand it! People grimaced as they walked by. What was it? One staff member hovered nearby, sniffing. What? Had someone reported it? Alert! Bad smell in the back corner! Check it out! My imagination went faster than my running shoes ~ until the truth hit me with a gasp. No!! It couldn’t be! Ever so inconspicuously, I dropped my nose to my sleeve and inhaled. Then …
Broken Doors
“I’m tired of our latch-dysfunction,” I told my husband. Our van’s power doors took an early retirement, so we need to manually wrestle them open and closed. “It’s good for your muscles,” we tell the boys. But during Minnesota winters, the doors take turns freezing shut. Until we’re driving; that’s when they fly open! Thus, our “discussion.” Can we afford it? No. Can I afford the anxiety of these surprise door openings? No. In the middle of getting nowhere, I pled my case to God. “I feel helpless, but God’s going to make a way,” I told Dwight. “I’ve been …
Good Words and Flying Balloons
It was a no good, really bad day, and I couldn’t hide my tears. To make matters worse, my son caught sight of me as he scuttled by. But he held his calm. He did a double take, and flashed a smile. “You’re God’s warrior,” he said. I blinked. Did that really come from his twelve year old mouth? His words found their place. They flickered some kind of light in me. You know how love plus truth equals hope, right? Well, I daydreamed as he skipped off to his room. Then he returned. “Remember, you’re God’s warrior!” he repeated …
My Big, Fat, Powerful Tongue!
My Bible Study leader looked at us. “Ok, so we’re going to share prayer requests and praises. Cheryl?” I began, “Hmm… Well, last week I had a mastectomy….” Everybody gasped. I gasped. Heat rushed to my face. “Ah – you meant to say ‘mammogram,’ right?” The leader glanced at my chest. “Yes, mammogram!” I said, whacking myself on the head. “Well, they both start with m.” I snorted, then everybody lost it. Only Two Kinds of Mistakes The incident reminded me how there are really only two kinds of slips or mistakes: Mistakes of human denseness (innocent blips like my …
Bird Bomb Day
The Ricker household swelled with its usual Saturday morning activities until~ BANG! Something hit the window. Running outside, we saw the small bird lying lifelessly. My husband picked him up and set him on his feet, and the bird remained frozen upright, eyes half-closed like he was unconscious. “Phillip.” That’s what the boys called him. We’d never seen another quite like him. We stood bent over, taking turns praying for Phillip with the laying on of hands. Quite a sight, I’m sure. And still, the little guy never flinched. “God cares about Phillip,” I said. Matthew 10:29, 30 came to …
Through God’s Fingers
That pressing test that rocks your world? It’s either from the hand of God or from the hand of the enemy. The fact is, it must first pass through the fingers of the Almighty, sift through the shape of His mercy. In other words, rest easy. If God isn’t the one nudging you forward through this trial, stretching you into His image, then He’s allowing the enemy to be used for your good and His glory. Even in your vulnerability, you can trust God’s Sovereignty. Satan’s on a rope, and God will always help you cope. God’s got your back; …
Do As I Do
[box] Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” John 5:19[/box] I confess: I can be impressionable. If I respect you and you say, “Cheryl, read this or watch that,” I’m likely to seriously consider your suggestion ~ simply because it worked for you. The problem is, what’s good for you isn’t necessarily good for me (yours and my strengths and weaknesses can be as different as the sun and moon); nor is it necessarily best for …
No Shellfish Please
“Don’t be shellfish,” I tell my kids, hoping to sound light about something so heavy. Selfishness is THE battle, is it not? It is so multi-talented that it manages to hurt us, God, and others, all at the same time. [box] Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3[/box] Hats off to our role model, Jesus. [box] 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 …
My Journey Into Print
Once Upon A Dream… [box] Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Psalm 37:4[/box] Today we’re going to do something a little different, and dream about dreams. Some of you shared your dreams of breaking into print. By pulling back the curtain of my own adventures, perhaps I can inspire you to embrace something new. As a child, I knew nothing about authors, just that I wanted to be one. God’s call came like a whisper, a flutter of possibility. Maybe I could influence people and make a big Kingdom difference. I started journaling …
Missing: Jesus Keys
My Simple Request It’s amazing the things you find when you’re looking for other things. After a month and a half of phone calls and house rampages for a pair of lost keys, I wondered if I should give up and buy new ones. With two Toyota keys and remotes, however, the replacement cost could be over $500. I decided to keep looking and praying. “God, I know you know where my keys are. Can you please tell me… I know they’re safe with you, and I thank you in advance because I really think you want to bring them …
Songs in the Sky
A Second Chance… “Cheryl, check out the rainbow!” I scrambled for my camera, but when I finally dashed outside, the colors in the partial rainbow had mostly faded to nothing. Not another wasted camera op! Last month it was the baby ducks trying to (unsuccessfully) jump the curb in front of the Mayo Clinic. Then it was the twelve huskies pulling a man on his bike. Now this? Resolved not to let it bother me, I hopped in my dinghy and, with each paddle-stroke, encouraged myself to ponder the week’s blessings. One, we were at Strawberry Lake Christian Retreat, our favorite …
God’s Detours
[box] When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle. Exodus 13:17-18[/box] I love how God considers our weaknesses when planning our itineraries. Yo, Gabriel! Better steer that Cheryl Ricker toward Sam’s Club instead of HyVee down the street. HyVee has a sale on chocolate and they’re …