I remember waking up with my head in my Astronomy book, realizing that I had literally fallen asleep mid-sentence. My heart panged, jolting me up--I was shocked at myself. I had fallen asleep in the middle of studying in my college library!

Impossible:  Not able to occur, exist, or be done. 

This is the dictionary definition of impossible. Are you facing something impossible right now? Have you faced something impossible in the past? Do you wonder if what you have to offer this world is enough? Do you wrestle with difficult people in impossible situations at work? Does your faith in Jesus seem far away when it comes to difficult decisions? Is it impossible to respond in faith when tough situations arise?

In the early hours of an August morning I found myself all alone in a hospital room recovering from emergency surgery in a city far from home. Pain throbbed throughout my torso. I lay in the bed, lethargic and feeling green like the Jell-O on the rolling cart next to me (the phosphorous smell of the scrambled eggs the nurse had just left was a nice touch). 

It was the day after my birthday and my husband was installing shelving in closets as a gift, because women can never have enough storage! We had just arrived home from laying my mother in law to rest seven days prior and the emotions were still raw, open wounds. The grief process had not even begun as we were still in the shock and disbelief stages. I glanced at the phone and saw many missed calls from my sister in law and knew in my gut – something was not right. As I returned the call her wavering voice said she needed to speak to my husband immediately. As I watched him take the call, his knees buckled and he lay prostrate on the ground with gut wrenching cries.

I pray often for family and friends to believe in Jesus. Over the years I have been perplexed and frustrated while pondering questions such as; what would it take for my loved ones to believe in ever-lasting life? What does it take to convince them to believe in Jesus whom they can’t see? Would seeing something tangible help them to just believe? The bible is full of descriptions that help explain this longing…if only they could meet Jesus. They would meet the Great I Am:

We are attracted by things seemingly impossible. Several years ago, Mat Franco won America’s Got Talent and now he has a standing show in Las Vegas. My husband and I went to see his show and it is mind blowing. He’s an illusionist who has mastered the art of the impossible.

It all began with Jesus going to a place a Rabbi doesn’t go. Jesus came to Samaria, a region despised by the Jewish people of the day. Samaria was a reminder of the exile of God’s people in an oppressed land for centuries. Gone was the united kingdom under King David. God’s people would be divided and carried away to Babylon and Assyria, ruled by leaders who did not know or worship the God of heaven.

I was the only woman in our group of friends who wasn’t invited to the gathering. The pain of it all, ya know? Looking back on it, I feel humiliated as I realize the many times all of us were together sharing a meal or together for someone’s birthday. They were making plans, discussing details, dreaming, talking, visualizing their scheme and doing it in secret, making sure I didn’t find out. That was their hope but, someone posted their pictures of joyful shenanigans on social media and the news got out.

Scripture tells us that “to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12 NLT). Wow. We accept Him. He accepts us. Indeed, acceptance permeates all encounters with Jesus.

Chapter four of John describes one such encounter. The heat of the noonday sun blazed down on a Samaritan woman as she carried her water jar along the dirt road outside her village of Sychar. As she arrived at the well, she noticed Jesus sitting there. She did not know who He was, but she could tell that He was a Jewish man. While she prepared her vessel to draw from the well, Jesus asked her for a drink. This surprised her on many levels.

Giving Wit and Edginess to the Woman at the Well!

When reading the Bible, it’s important to get into the habit of giving faith-filled imaginings to the characters, the monologues, and dialogues offered in the text. As with other literature up until a couple of centuries ago, no hints are given as to the attitudinal tone or volume of anything spoken. When the resurrected Jesus Christ speaks to Mary Magdalen in the garden (John 20: 10-16), it is one word that clarifies for her that she had mistaken him for someone else. That one word was her name.

You know when you’ve experienced something incredible, like for real incredible, you just have to share it with someone else?  I feel that way about most flavors of ice cream.  It’s rare for me to take a bite of mine without shoving another bite into my husband’s mouth because it just tasted that good.  The same thing happens with sunsets.  Las Vegas sunsets are absolutely breathtaking and when I see it, I can’t help but flail my arms shouting and pointing, “LOOK!” 

I have never been in the “popular crowd.”  During high school, I remember wanting to have a Sweet 16 Birthday Party.  We couldn’t afford the elaborate parties that many girls had, but my grandmother agreed to hosting a small get together.  She bought the over-priced, but popular Sweet 16 Birthday decorations at the store, and she pulled out all the recipes she knew were hits at parties she had hosted over the decades. 

“Look at me mom.”  “Mom, come see what I made.” “Look at my new trick.” “Watch me!” As a mom, I feel like I need four sets of eyes to follow my four children around our home to keep up with their requests to see them.  This is the stage in their life when they are searching and looking for validation in all they accomplish or do. 

The invitation from Jesus in John 1 is to come and see. As small groups of curious tradesmen, women, disciples, and businessmen hear about the man John the Baptist speaks of, they stand before Jesus with questions, and all He answers is come and see.

Have you ever had one of those moments when you are just doing your thing, your normal day to day activity, your average ho hum thing and God just kind of pokes your heart and gives you a gentle reminder that turns the ordinary into extraordinary, the thing that takes your average activity and makes it above average? I had one of those moments this week, and God in His gentle way reminded me of just how faithful He had been, is, and will continue to be. I was doing my normal morning daily routine of working out on the elliptical, and I was watching my time and my miles. In my mind, I play this game - only ten more minutes, only .5 more mile, etc.

It would be several millenniums since they ate the fruit.

Since the first shedding of blood.

Since the perfect relationship between God and man was severed.

Within the spoken words of God to Adam and Eve, who were shivering in their shame and nakedness, God made a promise that Someone will come and end the curse of sin. As soon as the remnants of fruit hit the ground, Jesus planned to come.

I had just returned to work from maternity leave and sat down at my desk when the office clerk walked in and handed me a file. 

“Your evaluation appointment is here.  And her rap sheet is REALLY thick.” 
“I’m used to seeing that.” I replied while taking the file from him. 

“Well, she also has a murder charge she went to prison for.  Welcome back.” He replied as he walked out of the office.

A rap sheet is a term used in the criminal justice world that refers to a person’s arrest record.  It is something that I look through for the majority of people that I see.  A person’s rap sheet can give me a glimpse into who the person is. 

The writer of Hebrews tells us that faith “is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” The writer then notes that such “faith” (which can be synonymously understood as “trust”) is “what the ancients were commended for” (Hebrews 11: 1, 2). The writer proceeds to list some of those commended ancients, among them Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses.

God’s faithfulness isn’t always as clearly seen as we expect. His faithfulness shapes us slowly and consistently, over time. That was my big ah ha when I sat down to read an entire year of journal entries and written prayers. God kept answering my prayers by laying truth upon truth until I could see it. It certainly wasn’t obvious; gosh I am grateful for the Lord’s persistence.  My prayers were relentless and repetitive all year;

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, written by C.S. Lewis and made into a movie, is one of my most favorite films. Written as an allegory about the battle between good and evil, of God and the evil one, C.S. Lewis beautifully describes the Christ figure represented by Azlan, the lion. In a poignant scene, Azlan gives himself over to the witch in payment for the betrayal of Edmund towards his brother and sisters.