September 22, 2011

Are You Satisfied?

Is it possible to accept Christ as your Savior, go to church every Sunday and still not be satisfied by Him until you meet Him face to face?

Yes.

Do wha?  Dusty Takle, are you saying Jesus Christ is not satisfying?

No.

He is all satisfying.  But, it is possible to never be satisfied by Him. 

Satisfaction in Christ comes from spending time with Him.  Time in His Word.  Time in prayer.  Time. With. Him.  Not just once.  But ALL of the time. 

Daily.

It’s easy to determine when we are physically hungry or thirsty.  As a matter of fact, it’s easy for Kris to tell when I’m physically hungry or thirsty, because, I will become a little grouch.  It’s true.  So, I am quick to make sure I satisfy those physical needs. 

Spiritual hunger and thirst signals can be a little trickier.  How do I know when I need more of Him?  Consider the physical diet.  I have given up sugar before.  Even the glorified Junior Mint.  At first, my body notices that it is not getting its usual million grams of daily sugar fix.  It has definite withdrawals.  I miss that dark chocolate goodness with a rich, creamy center.  Later, I slightly remember how delightful that mint tastes.  Until finally, I no longer crave its goodness.  The longer I go without tasting it, the less I crave it.

That’s good.

If we are only talking about sugar.

The same thing happens in our spiritual life.  When we are consistent in spending time with God, we notice when we go a day without it.  Those spiritual hunger pains are more pronounced.  However, the more time we let lapse, the less we begin to notice.  Until, eventually, we don’t want it at all anymore.

We will find something to fill that spiritual void.  It might be some addiction.  It may be materialistic things.  It may be unhealthy relationships.  Something will fill it.  But, that something will only fill it for a moment.  It will never completely satisfy us.

King David continually sought time with God.  This is why he could write in Psalm 63 “Oh God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.  My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you….”

And, in Psalm 71, “That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long.”  And, in Psalm 119, “Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right.”  And, in Psalm 34, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”    And, in Psalm 42, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.

David was so familiar with God’s love.  He was so accustomed to seeing His power and glory.  So, it was obvious to him when he missed it.

Only He fully satisfies.  Taste and see that He is good.  Then, taste again and again. 

And, again.

You’ll notice when you miss it.

1 “Is anyone thirsty?  Come and drink – even if you have no money!  Come, take your choice of wine or milk -  it’s all free!  2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?  Why pay for food that does you no good?  Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.  You will enjoy the finest food.  Isaiah 55:1-2

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September 21, 2011

The Moments You Can’t Redo.

Me:  “You should’ve seen Jett yesterday, lying on the floor, laughing so hard at his big brother and his big brother laughing so hard right back.”

Dad:  “You can never re-do those moments.  They come and go so fast.  You can recreate moments when you are an adult.  But, you can’t recreate those moments when they are children.”

My thoughts hung on my dad’s words for the rest of the day.  I’ve written about soaking up moments like these before.  But, I guess we can never be reminded too often to take notice of them. 

To be present.

Fully present.

So yesterday, after a long day of meetings, errands, and checking on my sick 8 year old, I came home and saw a little 18 month old running around my house.  There were so many things on my to-do list even after I made it home. 

Forget ‘em. 

That’s what I said to myself.  And, Kris knew my list was waiting for me.  So, I looked at him and said, “Do you care if I just play with Jett a while?”

“Have at it!” he said.

So, that’s what I did.  He laughed at me, and he made me laugh.  I listened to him repeat words I said, and I smiled. 

Forget the busy schedules, forget the to-do lists.  Stop being overwhelmed by things that really don’t matter.  Enjoy the people in your life.  And, be fully, FULLY present with them. 

Because, you will never, ever be able to redo these moments.

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September 19, 2011

She’s Not Your Normal Six Year Old.

I really don’t know a funnier, braver girl than Anna Takle.  I’m sure they are out there.  But, she is mine.  So, I really love hanging out with her.  Her prayer requests never get old.

“Mom, please pray I’ll have super cool dreams about vampires.”

Nor do her artistic expression requests.

“Mom, can I, please, draw bones and skulls on my bedroom wall?”

Um, no.  But, you can dream about them.

Of course, this same girl who doesn’t care what you think about her outfit pick for the day can also beat her momma at a game of chess.  And, create brain teasers that her momma can’t answer.

And, she always knows exactly what to do to make me laugh. 

Do I think it’s normal for a six year old girl to be more interested in her karate moves than princesses?  Or to ask random questions like, “Can you get your tongue tattooed?”  I know, right?

Probably not.

But, I’m really okay with it.  I don’t want “normal.”  Normal isn’t working.  Normal is wanting to be like everyone else.     

Normal is over-scheduled kids.

Normal is thinking that sex before marriage is okay, because “we live in a different world now.” 

Normal is a lot of things I don’t want Anna Takle to be. 

So, I know that if I can help her submit her unique, dare to be different, wonderful personality to Christ, she will be a God kind of different.  More than ever, I am aware of the fact that we are called to be in this world but not like this world.  It doesn’t mean we are judgmental of people who are not followers of Christ.  It does, however, mean we make it easy for them to tell us apart from the “normal.”  So, they will want the better things that aren’t normal, too.

We are called to be different.  And, different really is better.  And it’s happier.  And, I like happy.  Especially, this happy girl.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.  Romans 12:2

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August 16, 2011

Viva Love.

I’ve been married to Kris Takle 8 years today.  He likes to keep things exciting, so he surprised me with a trip to Vegas this past weekend.  It was pretty perfect save losing my iPhone and driver’s license.  I’m on day five without the iPhone, and heart palpitations haven’t started yet, so I take that as a good sign I’m doing okay.  It was in a clutch that was taken from a craps table.  Of course, that wasn’t all that craps table took from us, but, you know…it’s Vegas.  And, if you think gambling is a sin, you might wanna go ahead and click that “x” in the top right hand corner now, ‘cause momma likes to bet on the hard ways. 

I’m all talk, really.  Those tables make me nervous.  Unlike the umbrella and comfy chairs we sold a kidney to rent by the pool out there.  Purchasing comfort clearly does not make me nervous.  At least, not that trip.  Mercy.

I’ll go ahead and tell you I cried when Celine Dion sang “My Heart Will Go On.”  And, “Because, You Loved Me.”  And, when she sang Billy Joel’s “Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel)”, I knew I had lost the battle preventing puffy eyes the next morning. 

Because, it’s in these songs that my mind thinks about the amazing people in my life. 

Especially my husband.

I love him.

As a matter of fact, I think I’m addicted to loving him.

I love how he knows what makes me laugh, so he does it.

I love how he believes in me and my gifts.

I love how he loves me. 

And, I’m pretty sure I love him more today than I have ever loved him.  And, you won’t hurt my feelings if you click that “x”, because this is just too sappy for you. 

In the words of Matt Nathanson, “you make my heart beat faster.”

You just do.

Happy Anniversary, Kris Takle.

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August 10, 2011

Healing Your Marriage When Trust Is Broken.

“You never forget the day that changes your life forever.  The day that turns your heart and your family upside down.”

And, those are the first words my good friend, Cindy Beall, pens in her book, Healing Your Marriage When Trust is Broken.  I know Cindy and her husband, Chris.  I’ve sat around their dinner table.  I’ve eaten Cindy’s amazing black bean salsa and steak fajitas.  I’ve spent hours shopping with her helping her pick out the perfect pair of denim.  ‘Cause she is understands a good pair of jeans is from the Lord.  So, what I’m saying is….I know her story. 

And, it’s the most amazing story of redemption in a marriage I’ve ever personally known.

But, it’s one thing to know her story.  It’s another thing to read it.  To read the brutal transparency of what her heart looked like after Chris confessed he had been unfaithful.  To read the shock.  The betrayal.  The shattered dream. 

And, then to read the forgiveness.  The healing.  The restoration.  The marriage that God made better than new. 

If you think your marriage is unrecoverable.  If you wonder if you will ever be able to trust again.  If you have lost all hope….

Cindy’s book will inspire you to believe otherwise. 

She will win your heart with her honesty.  And, she will help you write your own story of redemption.

To purchase Cindy’s book, go to Amazon.com.

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August 2, 2011

Nobody Puts Big Mama In A Corner.

After chasing Jett minute after minute for hours on in one day last week, I noticed he had disappeared from the room.  And, it was quiet.  Which never really means anything particularly good.  So, I embarrassed my mom by asking Big Mama, “Big Mama, please, go find Jett, and bring him in here.” 

I swear I was only kidding.

Swear.

But, you don’t challenge Big Mama.

Or, she just might do what you asked.

She found him.

And, she brought him back alright.

He just wasn’t so happy when she took over her walker again, and he lost his awesome ride.

There is not another Big Mama.  And, Jett Takle and I couldn’t be happier that she is in our lives.

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August 1, 2011

One Shot.

Sometimes in the middle of raising three children, I stop and think how easy my parents had it bringing up just one.  I’m mean, it was always two adults to one child.  How hard could it have been taking me to my weekly gymnastics that I quit as soon as I started?  Just one kid.  And, a sweet, compliant one at that.  It’s my blog, I can lie if I want to.

It’s not the easiest making sure we invest into each of our children in a way we feel is “enough.”  As a matter of fact, we rarely think it’s enough.  We just trust that God has given us everything we need to accomplish everything we need to as parents.  And, we trust His grace to take care of the rest.  ‘Cause you know….I have one shot at this parenting thing.

One shot at making sure this tender heart stays tender, so he can be the face of Christ to those who need Him.

One shot at showing this smart girl how there are no limits to what her determined, fun spirit can do when it is submitted to His Spirit.

One shot at teaching this fearless, wild at heart, (sometimes spoiled) kid three that God wants to use His adventurous heart for His Kingdom. 

One shot.  That’s it. 

I don’t remember all of the extra-curricular stuff my parents made time for.  But, I do remember the life experiences they turned into discipleship opportunities.  I do remember God always being the center of every single decision.  And, I remember looking at my parents so many times and seeing what the love of Christ looks like. 

I hope that’s what my three remember.  I hope they remember Jesus in our house. 

And, maybe when they are thirty-six years old sitting around a lunch table with Kris and I, they will still be amazed at the amount of Jesus pouring from our lives. 

Just like my parents continue to amaze me.  Even if they did only have one kid.

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July 26, 2011

What I Quit Doing.

The past few months my stress level has been pretty low.  My load is no lighter.  As a matter of fact, it’s probably fuller.  My secret to controlling the stresses that I actually can control?

I quit dreading.

I quit dreading the commitment I made I wished I had not made. 

I quit dreading the thing I have to do whether I want to do it or not. 

I quit dreading the fact that pretty soon my alarm is going to go off, and I’m going to have to motivate two little people to get out the door to school.

I quit dreading obligations that take away time I wish I could spend….resting….replenishing.

Dreading makes everything worse.  My grandfather used to always say, “It’s worse to dread something you have to do when just doing it is bad enough.”  In other words, nothing is going to change that commitment.  That thing.  Those obligations.  And, dreading them makes the doing them that much harder. 

So, I quit.

I no longer worry or stress about when I’ll have my next down time.  My next reprieve.  Instead, I make up my mind to maybe say no to the next request.  Unless that request is a life-giving need.  Because, it’s in those life-giving times that I remember my life is not my own.  And, God is always faithful to make me lie down in green pastures and restore my soul.  And, this rain sure does make them even greener.  A little drop of a degree or 100 might help, too.  But, I digress.

Stop dreading.  Remember whose you are.  And, how faithful He is to give you exactly what you need when you need it. 

Deal?

Deal.

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July 25, 2011

Loving Until The Twelfth of Never.

The following was written and published in The Grip newspaper as my tribute to the love of John and Dianne Herbert.  Dianne took her last breath on earth with John by her side, Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 12:30AM.  I will never forget the exchanges I had the honor of witnessing their last few weeks together.

There are days when one of us is trying to simultaneously console a tummy ache and cook dinner while the other is reconciling a bank statement with a toddler running a big truck up and down his leg.  There are situations where he sees things one way and I assume the burden of making him see things the right way.  Okay.  My way.  There are times my words are curt and his actions seem insensitive.  And, there are moments we both wish we could re-do.

We can’t.  And, parenting aside, marriage is one of the hardest institutions to navigate through.

But, I know it’s possible.

What is that thing that makes her stay even when the hard moments are unbearable?  What is it that makes him still say, “I love you,” after she has hurt his heart?  When bills pile up and the funds are low?  When one is running to soccer and the other is running to the office?  When time is scarce?  When emotions are running high?  When patience seems to have packed herself up and moved across town? 

What is it that makes a marriage run until the very end? 

Respect.  Honesty.  Intimacy.  Selflessness. 

Those are all words I think of when I think of a successful marriage. 

But, perhaps, the simplest answer is commitment.  Staying in the game.  Choosing love over and over again.  Saying no to the easy way outs and saying yes to until the twelfth of never. 

For better or for worse.

This is the kind of love I witnessed every day I went to see John and Dianne.  Bed-ridden with cancer, Dianne forced a smile into the eyes of the man who sang to her while he held her water.  Nurses would come and go, and John swore they were all scared of being out of a job because of the care he gave Dianne himself.  “She’s the queen of the house,” he’d tell everyone.  I watched him leave her side only to turn and run back and steal a kiss.  And, she obliged. 

I’m not sure what their last day looked like as he requested to be alone with his wife of more than forty-six years.  I don’t know the words he told her or the songs he sang. 

But, if he didn’t sing these words aloud, I know they echoed in his heart:

You ask how much I need you, must I explain?
I need you, oh my darling, like roses need rain.
You ask how long I’ll love you; I’ll tell you true:
Until the twelfth of never, I’ll still be loving you.

May we all be inspired to love….

until the twelfth of never and that’s a long, long time.

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June 30, 2011

Remember the Why.

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you.  Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.  1 Peter 5:2

From the time I was a young girl, I knew God had called me to be a pastor.  Even then, I didn’t find it unconventional for a girl to assume a role usually appointed to men.  It just felt natural.  I would carefully place all of my stuffed animals in rows, lead praise and worship, and then preach to them.  Then, when I was in the third grade, my class was instructed to come dressed as what we wanted to be when we grew up for Career Day.  Me?  I wore a pinstriped dress and carried my Bible.  Because, I was going to be a pastor. 

I have since learned that there is a lot more to ministry than standing in front of people and unpacking a message that God has worked inside of me.  Which, ain’t no walk in the park, I gotta tell ya.  Mucho respect for my dad who does it every week with a delivery, anointing, and passion that I long for.  ‘Cause, dang that’s hard. 

Back to the point.

Ministry is taking care of the people that God puts into your life.  It’s stepping outside of your own need, your own want, and investing yourself in others.  It means that some nights, you go to bed, and you are mentally, emotionally, and physically spent.  It means you don’t let that exhaustion or sacrifice of personal time make you bitter.  “Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly.” 

And, the best way to keep your heart and mind in check is to remember why you are doing it.  It’s not just for them.  It’s not just for you.   But, it’s because, you are eager to serve God. 

Sometimes, I need to be reminded of the why.  Sometimes, we all need to be reminded of the why…whether we are pastors or not. 

You might be a teacher in a classroom dreading the return of August.  Dear Teacher, you are going to change some student’s life and tell her she has a gift to write.  Thank you, Mrs. Simonton. 

You might be a public service man or woman putting in a lot of hours for little pay.  Dear Public Servants, thank you for helping our tornado victims recover from terrible devastation and restoring hope to them.

You might be a nurse working crappy hours on a night shift.  Dear Wendi, thank you for taking such good care of me, and setting my mind (and pain) at ease.  You make every single one of your patients feel loved. 

You might be a mother staying home with your children every single day.  Thank you, mothers.  You are raising world changers. 

Whatever you do, it’s so important to always remember the why. 

I remembered my why last night.  To serve Him.  Not because I love Him.  But because, He lavishes His love on me.

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