My First Publication...

I am thrilled to announce that I am one of the contributors for the student devotional titled, The Campus Survival Guide: Representing Christ on Campus.  It will be released in March 2012.  Regal Books has featured the book as one of its new releases in its Spring 2012 catalog.

Obviously, I am very excited and can hardly wait to hold my very own copy in my very own hands.

Thank you, Lord.  

The Twelve Days of Lucy!

It has been 12 days since I brought home my beautiful new puppy.  And it has been an amazing adventure so far.  This morning, she cried to get out of my bedroom, and did her business outside!  For fellow dog-owners, you know what a monumentally important accomplishment this can be.  She has also learned that I keep treats in my pocket, and that she gets one when she "sits" on command.

We named her Lucy which means "light." Of course, Jesus is the light, but Lucy also illuminates truth about our Creator.  In fact, she is teaching me so much about God, I have outlined my next book already.  I am going to title it, Puppy Love.

The first truth Lucy demonstrated for me is the beauty and delight of adoption.  Obviously, I am not Lucy's 'real' mommy.  But I adopted her from her birth mother, and I love her so much.  She has become mine, and I have become hers.  It is a commitment, a covenant, that we will be together always.  Our Heavenly Father has likewise adopted us.

"He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, 

in accordance with his pleasure and will—"

Ephesians 1:5

Lucy knows I am her parent, her pack leader, her master now.  She does not resent me for taking her away from her former life, she has thrown herself wholeheartedly into relationship with me.  She has adopted me as much or more than I have adopted her.  She will leap with reckless abandon into my arms, she trusts me completely to catch her.

We may know that God has adopted us as his children, if we have accepted Christ as our savior, but have we adopted Him?  Do we identify God as our Father, our Leader, and our Master?  Have we thrown ourselves wholeheartedly, without any reservation at all, into a full-on, full-out relationship with Him?  

When I ask myself that, I have to confess that I have room to grow in this area.  

Father, I confess I have not given myself over to you with the same reckless abandon that I see Lucy has given herself over to me.  Lord, let me be that picture of loyalty and unflinching trust that I should be, and want to be.  Father God, thank you for creating me to know you, to love you, and to bring you pleasure.  Thank you for adopting me into your family, and for loving me with unfailing love.  Lord I pray also for my readers, that they may also have the desire to fling themselves daringly into the center of your will.  

Thanks for visiting,

Love Darilyn

Love at First Bite!

Over the past several months, one of my closest friends has adopted, one after another three small dogs.  It was like she was the dog magnet for lost or unwanted canines - but not just any canines, the cutest, friendliest little furballs ever.  And they got along as each one was added to her little pack.  Wherever she goes now, she has at least one, if not all three with her.

So I got to thinking how nice it would be to have a little someone to cuddle and to hold.  I miss our family pet, JD, who passed away at the end of last summer.  Then two things happened.

First, on the way down to She Speaks, I met a gentleman who had two teacup size dogs running around his feet as he waited outside a Wal-mart.  He was selling them for $100.  But I was on the way to the conference, so I passed up the opportunity.  Then, on the airplane, the woman beside me got to talking and it turns out that she had to give up her Maltese due to an upcoming move.  She asked me if I would take him.  I said, sure, but we ended up unable to connect on my way back through Chicago.

By now, I was really feeling like I wanted a puppy all my own.  It is the middle of the summer, the best time of year to train a new puppy for a teacher.  And, I will be home by 1:30 pm on school days come Fall.  So I took a look on line just to see if there were any puppies I might consider... And I came across the photo you see above.

So I drove out to where the pups were, just to ask some questions, you understand?  Just to look, and to maybe think about it a bit more.  Well, the puppy (above) came right to me and climbed right up onto me... and began to nibble my ear.  That's when it happened: I fell in love at first bite.

Readers: please pray that I will train my new little "baby" well.  It isn't easy to say "No!" sometimes to a face that cute, but it is important.

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Hebrews 12:11

Thanks for reading!  God Bless you!!

Love Darilyn

Jesus Take the Wheel!

I just loved that story I posted yesterday so much I wish I had written it.  I got a good laugh out of it, and I also thought there was some truth to the story.  The "big secret" thing that women supposedly want is to be in control of their own life, but I am not sure this is 100% accurate.

As for myself, I for sure want to have a voice in whatever is going on when it happens to affect me.  And as long as I know I am being heard, I can pretty much 'roll with the punches,' even if I am in disagreement with what is going on.

For me the essential issue is trust rather than control.

You see if I am in a vehicle with someone I trust completely, then I am at ease and enjoying the ride even if the person is taking me somewhere they are choosing, or taking a different route than I usually take.  Life is like that.  If I am going to take the passenger seat, I absolutely have to trust the one who is in control of the vehicle.  I don't have to BE in control, but I have to have full confidence in the person who is driving.  Are they qualified, skilled, and sober?  In other words, is the driver willing and capable of operating that vehicle so that I am safe?

Furthermore, it is important to me that I am in a vehicle that is headed in the direction that I want to go.  If you want to be in Houston, you don't get in a bus that is heading off for Phoenix, right?  When we get into the vehicle of life with our spouse, we have to be in agreement about what direction we are heading and what our destination is.  When you travel life together, it helps to have the same goals, vision and purpose.  Then you could take turns driving because there is agreement on the general direction you're going.  Route doesn't matter as much as the destination you're aiming for.

There is no human driver we can trust completely.  I remember going on a road trip with my daughter a couple of summers ago.  I was playing DJ with her ipod and chose a song that was the incorrect remix -- she nearly drove us into the ditch!  Another time I was on a different trip with a girlfriend, I was driving.  She had her hand out the window as we were headed onto the freeway when I decided to do up the windows.  Her fingers were caught between the window and the frame and the automatic window just kept that pressure on!  Once when I was a little girl, my father drove our vehicle into a ditch to avoid a head-on collision with a truck that was passing another vehicle coming towards us.  All of these things were a bit scary, but in each case, the trust either remained in tact or was quickly restored.

There is only one Driver we can trust in all situations, as Carrie Underwood sings, "Jesus take the wheel!"  He is the One and Only who alway has our best interest in mind.  No matter what detour we happen to be on, we can trust that it is the best possible route to where He is taking us.  No matter how many times we seem to be circling the block, or spinning our wheels, it is all for His purpose.  Even if the destination seems to be getting further away, we can trust that He is in full control, and that everything that happens will be for our ultimate good, and His ultimate glory.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, 

who have been called according to his purpose.  

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son..."

Romans 8:28-29

Readers, I am so glad that I know I can trust Jesus.  He has shown me time and time again that He knows what He is asking me to do, and it is always for my good and His glory.  I didn't know I could trust Jesus, until I chose to trust Him.  He is trustworthy, and I had to choose to believe that by faith.  

Do you trust Him today?  Can you let Him have the control, and be at ease knowing He will get you exactly where you need to be, precisely on time?  He not only knows the way, He IS The Way!  I pray you will choose to trust him with your journey today!

Love Darilyn

What Do Women Really Want?

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So, the monarch offered him his freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death.

The question?...What do women really want? Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princess, the priests, the wise men and even the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she would have the answer.  But the price would be high; as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.  The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the question, but he would have to agree to her price first.  The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend!

Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life.  He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden; but Lancelot, learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur.

He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table.  Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur's question thus:

What a woman really wants, she answered....is to be in charge of her own life. 

Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared.  And so it was, the neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding.

The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But, what a sight awaited him.

The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the bed. The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened.

The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch, she would henceforth, be her horrible deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half.

Which would he prefer? Beautiful during the day....or night?

Lancelot pondered the predicament. During the day, a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old witch? Or, would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day, but by night, a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous intimate moments?

Noble Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice herself. 

Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life.

*****

That was a funny story that I received by email.  I would give all due credit to the original writer, but I don't know who it is.  It is a great truth and a great laugh!  I hope you enjoyed it!  In my next post, I will give you my insights to this story!

Love Darilyn

Once Upon a Time in Florida ...

In my third year of being a single mom, I had promised myself that if I got a solid teaching job, I would take the kids to Disney World.  So after my first year of teaching full time, I booked the three of us a two week vacation to Orlando.

We were staying at a budget place near Disney World, that cost a mere $25 per night, and offered a full breakfast buffet daily where kids ate for free!  Needless to say, we were there faithfully every morning.  One morning as we were waiting in line to be seated, there was an elderly couple just ahead of us.  The woman was in a wheelchair and her husband was pushing her.  At first glance, I thought, "Oh my, isn't that wonderful, she is unable to walk, but she has a husband to take care of her." Then, "Lucky her, poor me, I wish I had a husband ... blah, blah, blah."

Momentarily, the couple was led to a table close enough to the podium that I could both hear and see what transpired while we continued to wait for our table.  The restaurant must have been busier than usual, or perhaps short-handed that day.  In any case, the hostess forgot to give them the cutlery wrapped in a serviette, and rushed off to take care of some other duties.

Meanwhile the husband parked his wife at the table, a little abruptly, and stalked off to the buffet without a second glance at her.  He returned almost immediately with a plate holding a couple of carelessly chosen morsels of food and literally dropped the plate in front of her so forcefully that a clump of scrambled eggs bounced off the plate and landed on the table.  I was riveted to the floor with my jaw slackened in surprise.  Heads turned at the clatter of dish-against-table.  Patrons drew a collective breath to see what would happen next.

The lady simply looked up at her husband and in a gentle, sweet voice said, "Thank you, could you please bring me some cutlery?" I was standing right beside the bin containing the wrapped utensils, and the man was no more than 5 or 6 feet in front of me.

The man retorted, "You don't need any cutlery, eat it with your hands." Then he turned on his heel and returned to the buffet table.

I was so stunned, I couldn't move. It was like time stood still as I realized a few things.  First of all, I would rather be alone for the rest of my life than be treated so cruelly, so humiliatingly, so rudely by the one person who is supposed to cherish me above all others.  Secondly, I saw myself in my old age, all alone and helpless, and wondered if I didn't have a husband, who would care for me?  Thirdly, I realized that in order to not be completely abandoned in my elder years, I would have to become the kind of woman who drew people to her like bees to a flower.  I would need to be surrounded by a group of folks that genuinely loved me and cared for me because I was a blessing in their lives.

And I knew that the only way to become so sweet, so gentle, so loving, that others are drawn to me in that way, I would need to be conformed to the image of Christ.  I would have to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, and I would have to get rid of all traces of bitterness that had taken root in my heart.  I would need God to create a renewed spirit within me.  I would need to think upon whatever is pure, noble, righteous, and good -- in other words, "I" must decrease and He must increase within me.

Immediately, instead of whining about not having a husband, I began worshipping the One who was my Husband.  Right there at the front of the line in that restaurant, I made a commitment to the Lord and to myself that it would be more about Him, and less about me.  Because Jesus promised,

"Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."

I was prepared to take Him up on that offer.  

Suddenly the hostess was in front of me smiling, "Right this way." She said, "Sorry about the wait." 

"No problem," I returned her smile, and as we followed her to our table, we went right past the couple I had been observing.  They ate together in stoney silence.  The clicking of their cutlery against their plates was the only conversation.

I prayed, "Father, please surround that woman with people that love her and cherish her.  Please protect her heart.  Let her know You, Lord, so that she may know what true love looks like and feels like.  Oh Father, no one should be treated like that!  Please tender her husband's heart towards her and let him be repentant for how he has been acting towards her.  And let him come to full knowledge of You.  Lord I pray that you will make me into the woman you created me to be.  Let me not be bitter, selfish, or even remotely sorry for myself.  Let me rejoice in each and every day that you make for me, that I may serve you better, know you more completely and love you more deeply.  And Father, I pray that you will never let me be treated as this poor woman is being treated now."

Readers, I pray none of you are being treated like this woman was being treated.  But more importantly, I pray that you will seek Him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength so that you will become the most irresistible flower attracting many bees to care for you, love you, honour you and bless you all the days of your life. I pray the same for me.  God Bless you!

Love, Darilyn

Free E-Book!

I have to share:


I thought this looked good, and then I saw it is free for on your kindle.  So why not give it a click?

I have no idea what this book is about, no idea about the author, or if it is any good.  I just saw that it was FREE, and thought I would share.

Love, Darilyn

P.S. Let me know what you think of it.

Just Because ...

Have you ever invited someone you really don't respect or admire for dinner just because they were related to you?  Perhaps you felt obligated to invite someone for dinner just because they had previously invited you?  Do you laugh at your boss's jokes just because he is your boss?  Have you maintained a relationship with someone just because it is convenient?  Or just because it is expected?

I know I have.  I never feel good about it, but sometimes I have felt like I have to connect with someone; not because I want to, but because it is required of me.  A typical example of this might be attending a bridal shower for my neighbour's sister's son's fiance, even though I've never met her.  More likely it would be attending a Christmas party because it is being thrown by a colleague, and everyone is expected to be there.  The feeling is about as warm and fuzzy as an ex-convict feels about connecting with his parole officer.

We've probably all been in situations where we have had to "keep our chin up" and do what has to be done because it has to be done.  I'm not saying it is wrong to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.  I am just feeling regret that our feelings are often less than genuine.

In an ideal world, we would experience genuine delight every time we run into our neighbour (who has all day to talk, and talk, and talk when we need to get to work).  We would be excited to see Aunt Olga at Christmas time (the one with a moustache who complains loudly about her raging hemorrhoids throughout the holiday feast).  But it isn't an ideal world.

I know, as a teacher, that there is a percentage of kids who just tune me out.  They have to be there, and that's fine.  I teach the best material I can find, and do my best to make it even better.  I deliver the material in the best way I know how.  I hope and pray that they enjoy my classes.  But inevitably, some tolerate my classes just because they need that credit.  This I can handle.

But lately, I feel that someone close to me is just tolerating my presence.  It really hurts to feel that I am not appreciated or valued.  I am certainly not the kind of person who would 'require' someone to be with me out of obligation.  When I inquired of this person on this issue, I was not given any kind of assurance.  It left me feeling really upset.  I want to be wanted.  I wondered, "Aren't I worth it?"

So, as is my custom, I talked it over with the Lord.  And I realized that the way I feel in this relationship is the way the Lord feels about me.  He wants me to want Him.  He wants me to appreciate Him and value Him.  He wants me to delight myself in Him.  He wants me to want to be with Him.  The last thing He wants is for me to "do devotions" out of obligation, or because I feel it is required of me.  The difference is that He wants me to want Him, NOT because He is insecure and needy (like me), but because He knows I need to need Him.

I bet there are a lot of "Christians" who go to church just because it is Sunday, and not because they want to.  I think far too many Christians do the right thing just because we are supposed to, rather than out of love for the Lord.  I know that used to be me.  I did devotions as a way of "paying my dues."  How sad.  I can see clearly now how unsatisfying that would have been for Him.  And it was certainly a futile exercise for me.  But that was before I discovered how much Jesus loves me.  His love changed everything.

Now I want to be with Him, just because He is my source of joy.  Just because He totally understands me, edifies me, values me, treasures me, and wants me.  I want to know Him more and more!  He is so much more than "all that" and a bag of chips!  He is my everything and I am desperate for Him.  Just because He is Who He is.

He thinks I am worth it.  He was willing to walk that Calvary Road, be whipped and scorned and hung on a cross to die, just because He thought I was worth it.  And if thinks I am worth it, then I have to agree with Him.  After all, He is God!  And if He thinks I am worth it, and if He wants me and delights in me, and if He loves me ... really, what else matters?

Readers, do you love Him?  Do you know Him?  Do you want Him, just because He is?  I pray you do, I pray you will.

Love, Darilyn

Three Days to be... Limitless

I recently showed my Bible class the film, "The Miracle Worker," and afterwards gave them an essay written by Helen Keller titled, "Three Days to See."  The essay described what Helen would do if she were given three days to see.  I assigned my class to write about what they would like to do for three days if they were given an ability they do not currently have.

I often give great thought to what I would do for my own assignments, and for this one I would write about what I would do if I could be Limitless, like in the movie of the same name (which I blogged about previously).

If I were truly Limitless, then that would mean that I could travel at the speed of thought.  If you know me personally, then you know that I really enjoy travelling.  So I would spend the first day travelling the world.  Since I would be travelling by the power of thought, at the speed of thought, there would be no need to buy a ticket or stand in security line-ups at the airports!  So I would have time to see each of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Since being Limitless would also mean I would not need to sleep, I would have time to travel to the top 20 Natural Wonders of the World, like Ayers Rock in Australia, and to the top of Mt. Everest.

Next, I would speed around the world touring the most expansive buildings in the world.  This would take me to Dubai and a number of other exotic places!  I would want to take in the world's most noteworthy art galleries and museums.

After spending the first 24 hours travelling extensively, the second day of being Limitless would be devoted to learning.  I picture it working something like the downloading of information we saw in The Matrix.

I would want to speed-learn all the main languages of the world so that I could read, speak and understand them each fluently.  I would want to commit the entire Holy Bible to memory so that I had it on instant-recall at all times for the rest of my life.  I would also want to read every work of classic literature.  Also, if I had a Limitless capacity for learning, I would definitely want a working knowledge of global politics, economics and commerce.  I would learn enough to acquire a doctorate in psychology, communications, and theology.  Another area of learning I would like to venture into is music.  I would like to be able to play any instrument, and compose music in every genre.  And I would like to learn how to paint.  Oil, acrylic, and watercolours.  Might as well learn everything there is to know about photography as well.

And yet knowledge without love is meaningless.  What good would all that knowledge do unless I applied it to make the world a better place?  And so my final day of being Limitless would be devoted to loving and giving to others.

Now, how does one love and give to the whole world?  Well, God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so that all who believe in him should not perish but have eternal life.  That's a pretty tough act to follow!  But, since God IS love, what I could do is share Him with others.  This would have to be done on a grand scale, but, because I would be Limitless, I could probably arrange a press conference that would be broadcast live over the entire globe.  Of course, being able to speak in all those languages would come in handy.

If I could clearly communicate to everyone how wide and high and long and deep is the love of God for them, then they would certainly respond to Him by loving Him back!  We would all love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength.  Then, I would certainly need each of those doctorates to be able to teach the world to love one another as Christ loves us.  If I could convince the world, and everyone in it, to love their neighbour as themselves, then world hunger and global warming would be halted in a single day, a single hour.  Wars would cease.  The world would be a better place.

That would be three days well spent, don't you think?  And then I would have a nice long, blissful sleep.

Dearest Readers, this is the deepest desire of my heart -- that the world would know the love God has for them.  I will never be Limitless.  I will continue to travel when circumstances allow, and I will continue working towards my Masters of Communication.  And I am doing my best to pass long the love of God to everyone I can.  But I can't reach the whole world by myself.  Will you help me?  Will you share the love of God today?  Please?

Love, Darilyn

The Power of My Name

As a Senior High teacher, I am often asked by students if they can use my name as a reference.  I have filled out countless forms, written letters of recommendation, and answered many phone calls to answer questions about students and former students.

By the power of my name students have gone on to be accepted into universities, colleges, internship programs and won scholarships and awards.  Any time a student has used my name as a reference for a job, if I am called by the prospective employer, I am not satisfied unless my recommendation actually gets the student where they want to go.  So I am very convincing.

The most important occasion that I ever had to use the power of my name for a reference was when I was recently assisting a young man to get into Teen Challenge.  I happened to have worked for several years with the wife of the intake counsellor, and had taught the children of one of their administrative assistants for many years.  So when I assisted him with his online application, I added in the "comments" area that these two people could vouch for my sincerity in pledging my support and encouragement to this young man throughout the duration of his treatment program.

As I was praying afterwards for his acceptance into the program, I thought, "With the power of my name behind his name, perhaps he will get in."  And I knew even as I prayed that any "power" behind my name is simply the Lord in me.

It is by his grace and strength and mercy alone that I have earned a respectable reputation for myself.  It is only because Christ has been faithful to carry on towards completion the good work He began in me that there is anything respectable in me at all.  It is only by God's grace that I have been able to fulfill the duties of my calling in any way, shape or form.  It is only because I am being renewed day by day by the Holy Spirit within me, and being transformed into the image of Christ by his power at work within me that anyone can find anything praiseworthy, noble and good in me.

And so I realized that if this young man got accepted it is not because of anything I have done but only because of what the Lord has done in me.  

I also realized that my name might open the door for him, but he has to walk through it.  The young man will have to buy into the program and walk it out.  The doors may swing open to allow him in, but he has to personally take responsibility and ownership for making the most of the opportunity.

And I realized too that the Lord's mighty name behind me opens doors of opportunity for me as well.  And I am the one who is responsible to walk through those doors of opportunity and work through the details of the path set before me to reach the destiny He has planned for me.  There is a saying that goes like this; "If it is to be, it is up to me."

In the parable of the talents, one was given 5, one was given 2, and one was given 1.  Read that parable again, and this time imagine the talents, instead of being coins, were opportunities.  The ones who were rewarded were the ones that made the most of their opportunities!  I want to be like that.  I want to make sure, when by the power of Christ in me, doors of opportunity are opened to me, I make the most of them.

The doors of opportunity are not the only doors that are opened to us by the power of Jesus' name.  The very doors of heaven are opened to us so that we may spend our eternal lives there.  The doors to the throne room of His grace are opened to us so that we may present our requests to the King of kings.  We may boldly enter the presence of the Almighty because we enter in the name of Christ.

Readers:  Have you come under the power of His name?  Have you accepted what Christ has done for you?  Do you know that the work of God is simply this: to believe in the One he has sent?  This is a door of opportunity for you to invite Jesus into your heart and life.  Do it.  Make the most of this opportunity.

Love, Darilyn

Country Strong?

Last night my husband and I rented the movie Country Strong.  It was sort of the typical star-with-an-addiction film until you got near the end.

This blog contains spoilers -- so sorry about that.  Stop reading now if you haven't seen it and plan to.

The title of the movie, and the theme of it, was about a country star's "great comeback."  Well, after leaving rehab early, ruining one show, and cancelling another one, Kelly Cantor (Gwenyth Paltrow) puts on an amazing show.  It seemed like making an appearance for a young boy with Leukemia for the Wish Foundation had given her the grounding she needed to pull herself together.

But her great comeback lasted all of one night.  She went to her change room after the show and committed suicide.  Afterwards, her friend is reading a note she left him and in it she had written, "I have the right to disappear."

I am sorry, but I could not believe my eyes, or my ears.  The movie is titled, "Country Strong" and is marketed as a comeback story, and in the end the heroine ends up dead by her own hand?  What's with that?

Look, I understand that people get depressed, discouraged, and downright disgusted with life and even themselves sometimes.  But I really believe that suicide is the coward's way out.

Suicide is the worst thing you could do to your friends and loved ones.  Especially if you have children -- it is the worst thing you could to do them, or if you have parents.  What could be worse than if your child ended the life you strived to give them?

Of course in the film, Kelly Cantor's parents are not included in the story.  The massive grief of every one around her is never shown.  A suicide is something that those left behind may never get over.  And that this movie glorified it by including a line like, "I have the right to disappear," just really infuriates me.  A more apt title for this film would have been "Country Coward."

Readers, if you ever think for a minute that taking your own life is the answer, check again.  It isn't.  Please don't.  Pick up the phone and call someone.  Anyone.  A suicide hotline if there is no one else.  Don't ever give up on life.  Life hasn't given up on you.  You can't see the next chapter of your life from where you are right now.  So, get up out of the pit you are in so you can gain some perspective.  Get medical help.  Admit you need help.  It gets better, I promise.

Father, I pray that those who are thinking of suicide will stop and think again.  I pray that they will realize that they are making a huge mistake.  I pray that they will humble themselves and call someone for help.  I pray Lord, that they will seek you and find you when they do.  Father, please let those lost sheep know that you love them and value them so very very much.  Let them know that you do have a plan for them, a plan to prosper them and not to harm them.  That you have plans to give them hope and a future.  Father, bless them with your peace I pray.  In Christ's name, Amen.

Love Darilyn

How to Train Your Dragon Part 9 Learn the Language

If this movie is not about a boy and a dragon, but instead presents the secrets to a happy, lasting marriage, then something else I learned is that we must learn their language.


If you are married to a Fire-Breathing Reptile (FBR) who is very non-verbal, rest assured that you are not alone.  Part of why I am writing this for women is to help satiate our need for words!

Many husbands do not like to communicate verbally.  If this is your situation too, then together we wives must learn their “sign language.”  Sometimes I wish my husband was more talkative, until I talk to one of my my girlfriends whose husband will talk her ears off!  Then, I am suddenly content with a bit more peace and quiet.

In, Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage, Mark Gungor talks about the four personality types like they are different nationalities.  The Peaceful person, therefore comes from the country of Peace, whereas the Perfect person comes from the land of Perfect.  The two countries, he says, have very different dialects.  He makes a very good point. 

What makes sense to us does not make sense to our husbands.  And the same is true in reverse.  What Mark revealed on his video series, is the “deepest need” that makes your spouse tick.  If we will keep our eye on the ball, so to speak, and strive to meet that particular need for our spouse, then suddenly it is as though we are speaking his language.

The golden rule in learning their language, is don’t assume.  We all know what happens when we ass-u-me, right?  So, do not make the mistake that his actions mean what you think they mean.  Chances are they don’t.  If you are forced to assume what your spouse means, you have to, I mean have to, assume the best.


"Love always hopes" needs to be our slogan here.  (There is an excellent series of devotions in Rick Renner's book, on this passage of scripture.)   "Love always hopes," means that whatever your FBR’s actions are, you must choose to believe that he intends whatever is best for you.  This way if you are going to err, you err on the side of righteousness.

"When in Rome..." part 7

When I was asked to speak here tonight, it was suggested that I maybe share a story about how I’ve had a wish come true.  It was interesting because that got my mind in review mode, scrolling for the best story to tell.

The truth is that I’ve wished for a lot of things, and only gotten some of them.  And some of the things I’ve wished for haven’t turned out the way I’d hoped.

When I was in Rome in 2007 I went to the Trevi Fountain and made a wish.

I was so discouraged at that time because the two things I had been praying for, for so long, I had not happened yet.  One was that I wanted to be married again, and the other thing was that I desperately wanted to be published.

I wanted to be published so badly, because I thought I would have to be a published author in order to do what I am doing tonight.  I want so much to be a spokeperson for Jesus.

And I wanted to be married because every princess longs for a Prince.  Amen?

But I was so discouraged, so tired of asking the Lord for those two things.  I had been asking, begging pleading with God for so long.  I had even tried negotiating with God, “Well, if I can’t have both, then just give me one of those two things...”  By the time I got to the Trevi Fountain, I guess I kind of gave up.  I had been writing since 2001, and a single mother since 1999.

So, I decided to use my Trevi Fountain wish for something else.  I talked it over with the Lord too, because I don’t really believe in Fountains.  I said, “Lord, you know what I really want, but I’m not going to wish for that today.  Anything but that.”  So, as I lifted my Euro coin up and threw it over my shoulder, I “wished” for something else.  Something that wouldn’t slay me if it didn’t come true.

Funny thing is, I have no idea now what I actually wished for.  Whatever it was it must have been something utterly insignificant, and forgettable.  Maybe I wished for a good day.

But God heard my heart, and hadn’t forgotten me.

Four months after returning home from Rome, I submitted my unpublished manuscript to The Best New Canadian Christian Author of the year contest and was named one of the finalists.

Ten months after I visited that fountain, the man who is now my husband walked through the front door of my school and asked me out for the very first time.

My point tonight is simply this -- Jesus is the supplier of everything you deeply desire.


Psalm 37:4 says,

“Delight yourself in the LORD 

       and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

That manuscript never did get published.  The Lord instructed me to “give it away” so I started a blog and posted the whole thing.  Now I maintain that blog and have over 1000 visitors every month, with readers accessing it from all over the world.

And I keep writing.  I don’t know what the Lord has for me, but I do know this.  I am here tonight talking to you fine ladies about the Love of my life.  And I have a fine-looking man waiting for me at home.  Together we have 4 young adult children, and let me tell you, life in a blended family is never boring.

Ultimately, the Lord is the Author of my unique “happily ever after.”  And He can be the Author of yours too.  Learn to delight yourself in Him.  

If you don’t know Jesus as your saviour, please come and talk with me afterwards.  It would be my pleasure and an enormous priviledge for me to pray with you tonight.

If you don’t really know how much Jesus loves you, please come and let me pray with you that you too will receive a revelation of God’s unfailing love for you.

*****

Readers, do you know Him?  Let me know.  I long to hear from you just as God longs to hear your prayers.  Did you know the Bible tells us to present our requests to Him?  Go ahead.  He's listening.

"Unfailing Love" part 6

The third group of wishes centered around relationships.
The wishes were for someone to love and to be loved.  Don’t we all want and need that?  God is fully aware of this.  After all, He created us for love.
Proverbs 19:22 says,

“What a man desires is unfailing love;”  

The boys wished for girlfriends, hot girlfriends specifically.  I don’t think they had marriage on their minds, if you know what I’m saying!  Whereas the girls wished for husbands, preferably a prince.  Can you see the conflict of interest here?  The world is full of women, young women, who are just starving for love.  Unfailing love.  They seem to be willing to do just about anything to snag themselves a man.

But, Proverbs 20:6 declares,

“Many a man claims to have unfailing love, 

but a faithful man who can find?”

Indeed!  Where can you find a faithful man?  We are a generation looking for love in all the wrong places.  The truth is that the One and Only source of unfailing love is God Himself.  God is love.

I will never forget the day that I learned, deep in the marrow of my bones, that I am loved by God.  

It was the day I found Ephesians 1:4-5,

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world 

to be holy and blameless in his sight. 

In love he predestined us to be adopted 

as his sons through Jesus Christ, 

in accordance with his pleasure and will—”

These verses told me six life-changing facts:

1. I was chosen by the Creator of the universe, before it was created.
2. I am holy and blameless in His sight.  (Imagine, ME!?!?)
3. God was motivated by love.  No ulterior motives.
4. I was predestined to know Him.
5. He adopted me because I brought him pleasure.
6. God loves me intentionally.

In that moment, my soul opened up as if I had been struck with spiritual lightening.  And I knew that I knew that I was loved by God.  The sad thing is that I had been a Christian for years already!

Maybe you are here tonight and you are wishing you knew that you are loved by God.  Ladies, let me tell you tonight, that if I am loved by God, YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD!!  And his love is unfailing.

*****

Readers, you might like to know that after almost 10 years of being a single mom, a faithful man found me.  We were married November 28, 2008.  Here we are:

"You're Perfect for your Purpose!" part 5

The second group of wishes had to do with doing things, having certain skills or abilities.

Most students wished for specific abilities, accomplishments, or achievements like:

• “I wish I could sing,” 
• “I wish I could do missions work,”
• “I wish I could play soccer for a national team in the World Cup.”  

They want to do something significant.  They want a sense of purpose.  Rick Warren’s book, Purpose Driven Life sold over 25 million copies and is the best-selling hardcover book in American history.  It seems like doing something, and doing it with purpose, is something we are all yearning for.

This basic human need is also fulfilled in Christ.
Ephesians 2:10 says,

“For we are God's workmanship, 

created in Christ Jesus to do good works, 

which God prepared in advance for us to do.”   

Yes, we were created to do good works.  We don’t have to wish we will be good enough to do whatever it is that we are called to do.  All we have to do is prepare ourselves to the best of our ability and trust God for the rest.  He created us to do GOOD works -- not substandard works, or sloppy works, but good works.  We can trust that He will make us able.

Colossians 3:23-24

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, 

as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 

since you know that you will receive an inheritance 

from the Lord as a reward. 

It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

In Dr. Myles Munroe’s book, Principles and Power of Vision, he states that we are made perfect for our purpose.

So instead of wishing for skills, abilities, or accomplishments, we can just be praying that God reveals to us the purpose for our lives, and thank Him for equipping us to fulfill our purpose.

*****

Readers, it is an awesome book!

"Poverty vs. Prosperity" part 4

The first group of wishes was for money or things that money can buy.  In other words: financial provision.  Jesus promises us that He will make sure we have all we need.

In Matthew 6:33 He was talking about the very necessities of life; food and clothing when he said,
“Seek first the kingdom of God and
all these things will be added unto you.”

If you put the Lord first in your life, you will have your basic needs met.  Maybe not immediately, maybe not in the way you had imagined, but it will happen.  One of the names of God is Jehovah Jireh -- the God of our provision.  Jesus will meet your need for financial provision.

This doesn’t mean you can approach the Lord as if He is some sort of cosmic Santa Claus -- I am not suggesting that money will fall from the sky, or that Christianity is a get-rich-quick plan.  I am saying that our loving heavenly Father will not abandon us in a time of need.

When I got out of my first marriage in 1999, I had a net worth of exactly zero.  I didn’t have a job, and I had to get out of the marital home.  The debt matched the equity exactly, and so I started over again with two kids, a dog, and a 1996 red Sunfire.  Hey, at least it was red!

By a miracle of God, I was able to buy a home.  Then another miracle landed me a job near my new house.  But for a long time I worried that we wouldn’t have enough.  Every time I felt like poverty was squeezing the life out of me, I would practice generousity with someone else.  I had a friend I would go shopping with, and she never had money to actually buy anything she liked, so I started buying her something each time I was feeling poor.

I didn’t realize it at that time, but I was practicing the Biblical principal found in Luke 21:2-4

“He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.

“Truly I tell you,” he said, 

“this poor widow has put in more than all the others.  

All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; 

but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Now, I certainly didn’t give all that I had to live on, but I gave even in the midst of feeling impoverished.
And the Lord eventually blessed me just as his word says he will in Luke 6:38 --

“Give, and it will be given to you. 

A good measure, pressed down, 

shaken together and running over, 

will be poured into your lap. 

For with the measure you use, 

it will be measured to you.”

Meanwhile, I was learning something more in scripture.

"Whoever can be trusted with very little 

can also be trusted with much, 

and whoever is dishonest with very little 

will also be dishonest with much.  ...

So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, 

who will trust you with true riches?  

And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, 

who will give you property of your own?"

And so I prayed that God would help me become more trustworthy with what I did have.
Around that time, the Prayer of Jabez was really popular.  So I had a good look at it and I realized that when you ask God to enlarge your territory, you are actually asking Him to increase your responsibility.  Well, I didn’t really want MORE responsibility.  So I didn’t ask for more territory, I asked for the wisdom and the ability to be faithful with what I had, and to be thankful for it.
 
It’s all about praying for what God wants you to have.  I asked for wisdom, trustworthiness, and to be faithful and grateful for what I had.  And I began to give.

See, God doesn’t want to bless you materially so that you line your own pockets and keep everything for yourself.  He doesn’t want you to be financially constipated.  Everything belongs to Him, and he wants to keep the finances flowing.

Did you know that the overwhelming majority of the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day?  If you are not willing to give it away, don’t expect God to give to you.  

We have to start recognizing that money is just a tool that we are to use to advance His kingdom.  Our money is not even ours!  If you don’t believe me, check out the parable of the talents.  :)

Love, Darilyn

"Wishing, Hoping, Praying" part 3

Making a wish can be really fun.  I asked my classes to write down for me what they would wish for if given the chance.  I wanted to see what kind of trend might emerge, or if one would.

They wished for:

• material possessions or money,
• talents or abilities,
• and relationships!

These wishes could be categorized as:

• To be secure, 
• To be successful,
• To be loved, 

Interesting how all of the wishes were the students’ own version of “happily ever after.”

I think in order to obtain these types of things, we need to do more than just wish for them.  We need to pray for them.

The difference between wishing and praying is this: wishing is hope without substance.  We know, even while we are blowing out those candles (and the more there are, the more this is true) that the wish is not likely going to come true.  Maybe some of us have stopped bothering to even make a wish when we blow out our candles.  Maybe some of us don’t even bother to light them.  The song we heard earlier, contains one line that I think captures our hopelessness when it comes to wishes, “I wish wishes came true.”

The truth is, wishing is not enough.  We need to pray.

Wishing is hope without substance, whereas praying is an expression of faith.
We pray because we have faith in the One to whom we are offering our petitions.  We know that God is love, that he has our best interests at heart, and that he wants to hear from us.  He is enough to meet our needs, and He promises to do so.

The key to unlocking the power of prayer is knowing what to pray for.

*****

"If you can do anything..." part 2

I teach at a private Christian school.  Every day after rising for Oh Canada, we have a student read some scripture and pray over the intercom to start our day.

Almost every day the student will pray something like,
“May everyone who has a test today do well on it,”
“May everyone who has a cold feel better today,”
“Give us all a good day today.”

I’m guessing these kind of prayers must sound like fingernails on a chalkboard in the ears of God.

I mean, come on!

Here we are -- covered with the blood of the lamb, in the throne room of The Almighty, Holy of Holies, we have the full attention of the Creator of all that ever was, is, or will be.  He is tuned to us with rapt attention, and perhaps like Jesus often inquired, He is asking, “What do you want me to do for you?”

And we ask for “a good day”??  What is up with that?  Don’t we KNOW he is capable of a whole lot MORE than giving us one “good day”??

This minimal attitude of ours reminds me of a story in Mark chapter 9:

Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.  His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.  And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.  Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”  Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.  As they were coming down the mountain, ...

They came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them...  A man in the crowd said, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.  Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground.  He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”  Jesus replied, “Bring the boy to me.”

So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion.  He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.  Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered.  "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

That’s the part that really amazes me.  This man has no idea Who he is talking to!!

Does he think he is at the return counter at Canadian Tire, “Hey, buddy, if you can do anything, I’d like to return this tool.”

Or does he think he’s at the garage talking to his mechanic, “My engine is making this wierd noise, if you can do anything, let me know.”

Just 5 minutes before, Jesus showed Himself for Who He really is.  The One and Only Holy Son of a Holy God.  And this guy says, “If you can do anything...”?

Jesus says, “‘If you can’”!?!?

You better believe he can!!  He can do anything!  So why are we asking for a “good day”???  Can’t we think of something more significant, more life-changing, more important to ask for from the Almighty Creator of the entire Universe?

*****

"A longing fulfilled" part 1

Recently I was invited to speak at a ladies event in which the theme was wishing.  We had a really great time, and a few days later, a friend came by and asked me how it went.  She was quite interested in knowing what I had spoken about.

"Well, my notes are right here," I told her, "You can have them if you like."

She seemed quite enthusiastic about that idea, and so she took them home with her.  A little while later, she told me how much my message had blessed her.  Not just a general comment like, "Good job," but a detailed description of exactly which passages had touched her.

Then she asked, "Why haven't you posted it on your blog?"  I didn't really have an answer for her.  I would never intentionally hold out on my readers.  :)  So, by request, here is basically what I said:

*****

Thank you so much for having me here tonight.  I just have to start out with a bit of a confession... It is really intimidating to hear oneself introduced like that.  I mean, they say all these wonderful things about you, and then you have to get up on stage and try to live up to your own press.

What they don't tell you, in a formal introduction like that, is who I really am behind the scenes.  And let me tell you, I do not "have it together" any more than any one of you.

Has anyone been on a cruise?  Yes, me too.  In fact I just got back from one the beginning of February.  You know what they say?  They say the average person on a cruise gains 7 pounds in a week!  That's right!  But I was so happy, I only gained one pound in a week.  The problem is, according to my bathroom scale, I am still on that cruise!

So, I've been wearing stretchy, athletic pants ever since I got home -- they are the only pants that fit.  But I wanted to look really nice for all of you, so I went into my closet and pulled out my black dress pants for tonight.  Thanks to the miracle of control top panty hose, I was actually able to get the pants all the way up.  I'm not saying it was easy.  I'm just saying I got them up.  I felt like a farmer sausage being squeezed into its skin.  I eventually managed to get the zipper up too.  The problem was, the zipper broke, and I was trapped in my pants!

So, I just wanted to tell you that your illustrious speaker is standing before you tonight with pants held together with a paperclip.


The title I have chosen for tonight is, "A longing fulfilled."  That is really the essence of what wishing is -- a longing that we want to have, and hope will be, fulfilled.  The Lord understands how important hope is to the the human heart.  
Proverbs 13:12 tells us, 

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, 

but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Life is a mixture of “hope deferred” and “a longing fulfilled.”  That’s why it often feels like we are on the proverbial “emotional roller coaster.”  

And there are times when both are true at once.  How many of you wish you could lose 5 pounds?  How many of you ate the dessert anyways?  You see what I mean, we want what we don’t want.  

The Apostle Paul wrote about this struggle in Romans 7:19, 

“For what I do is not the good I want to do; 

no, the evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing.”

Paraphrased by Darilyn that verse would read, 

“For what I eat is not the healthy stuff I want to eat; 

NO, the chocolate I do not want to eat, 

that is exactly what I keep on eating.”

And then we wonder why our “wishes” don’t come true.

*****

Note to readers: I have actually been chocolate free since March 19!  If you have been following my blog, you know why.  If not, I encourage you to scroll back and see.  It is a great story!!

Hope this blessed you, come back to read more.  

Love, Darilyn

What would you do if you were Limitless?

That question is the tagline for the hot new movie, Limitless.

The story centres around a man who gets his hands on a clear, colourless pill called NZT that allows him to use 100% of his brain instead of just the 10% we all supposedly use.

This pill makes him think clearly, very clearly, and somehow boosts his motivation to get things done.  He starts out as a wanna-be writer with terminal writer's block, but he is able to finish his book within 4 days, once on NZT.

He can learn new languages with little to no effort.  He has instant recall of everything he has ever seen or heard and can combine pieces of information to understand everything in a new way.

The phrase that came to my mind as I was watching was, "Artfully integrates ideas into a cohesive whole." which is one of the descriptors for an Above Level answer for the English Language Arts standards exams.  At that moment, I thought I'd like to get my hands on some NZT for all my students for when they have to write those exams.

Then I thought, oh how I'd love some for myself!  I would finish writing my novel, and the three non-fiction books I've started (and abandoned).  I would be able to create new Bible studies, and speak as eloquently as Beth Moore!  I would figure out a way to understand my husband.  Wait a minute!  Not only would I be giving myself the pill, I would make sure my husband got some too.  (Amen, ladies?)

Of course, the pill in the movie is illegal, and deadly.  So there is a strong message here about the dangers of becoming addicted to a substance.  Still.  I wanted some.

It wasn't long before I noticed the strong correlation between NZT and the Holy Spirit.  Now, calm down folks -- only the positive benefits of NZT align with the Holy Spirit:  The Bible says that the HS will lead us into all truth.  It also says that when we are at a loss for words, the HS will give us the words to say.  Some believe that the HS will cause us to speak in other tongues.  The HS is what allows us to see truths in scripture that an unrenewed mind cannot see.  The HS interprets situations for us and gives us wisdom, discernment, courage, confidence, and power.

Interesting.  And therein is the problem, I think.  Christianity is not a pill you take to relieve all your problems.  Becoming a believer will not make everything suddenly go your way.  Your decision to accept Christ as your saviour will not make you rich, or save you from calamity.  Unfortunately, too many people and pastors try to "sell" Christianity as a solution to their problems.  No wonder folks get disillusioned and fall away.

It's not about you.  (Thanks to Rick Warren who pointed that out to over 30 million readers of Purpose Driven Life.)  It's about Him.

The Holy Spirit doesn't enable you to "do all things" so that you are glorified.  It is so that Christ is glorified in you.

Lord Jesus, above all I pray that you are glorified in my life.  Through the trials and tribulations I am experiencing in my personal life, I pray that you will strengthen me through my inmost being.  I pray that I will be rooted and established firmly in your love, so that when troubles come my way, I will want nothing more than for all of it to be used for your ultimate glory.  Father, I pray that you will have your way with me.  I pray that my desires line up with your desires.  I pray that my will is constantly surrendered to yours.  And I pray that my priorities will always be a reflection of your priorities for my life.  I pray also that you will use every circumstance in my life to conform me more and more into the image of Your Son.  And I pray that my readers will be blessed abundantly by this blog post, Amen.

Readers, I love and value you.  Feel free to share this post on Facebook or elsewhere.  Please include my blog address.  :)

Love, Darilyn

There is No Substitute

Readers, some of you already know that I have made a covenant with the Lord to surrender chocolate for 60 days, until May 16, 2011.  This has nothing to do with Lent, but I suppose it is a similar idea.

The idea is that while my young friend is participating in a 60 day residential treatment program to be set free from his substance addiction, I am relinquishing my 'substance' as well.

I always joked about how often I liked to have chocolate.  It was part of every celebration, and every self-pity party.  It was my reward for accomplishing difficult tasks, and it was how I coped with stress.  It was my immediate preference whenever choosing a flavour of gelato or ordering dessert at a restaurant.  It was my default snack every time we watched a movie.  Those pouches of Coffee Crisp or Kit Kat bites are my absolute favourite!  At home, chocolate was always available in multiple forms: cookies, cake, brownies, chocolate-covered almonds, and whenever I felt the need for even more chocolate, I would make myself a warm-chocolate-melting cake fresh from the oven.

In short, chocolate was an integral part of my every day life.  Much the same way that a substance becomes an integral part of an addict's lifestyle.  Giving it up was much harder than I anticipated.  In an effort to cope, I began to reach for alternate snacks to fill the void.

Last Tuesday I was preparing for a speaking engagement in the afternoon.  There was still a huge piece of chocolate fudge cake with cream cheese icing sitting on the counter which I had made just before making my covenant promise.  I was alone in the house.  That cake seemed to be calling my name.  I went over to the piece of cake, which my husband had conveniently already transferred from the big cake plate onto an individual serving plate, and held the plate in my hands.

I am alone.  I thought,  No one will know.

But I would know.  God would know.  And I wasn't willing to sell out my personal integrity for a chocolate fix, even if it was the best cake I'd ever baked, and even if it would go bad unless someone ate it.   I could not bring myself to put it down the garberator or throw it away, so I stashed it in the freezer to preserve its life until someone else could enjoy it.

I decided to make a carrot cake and put the same irresistible cream cheese icing on it that I had put on the chocolate fudge cake.  So instead of spending time preparing for my speaking engagement, there I was baking a carrot cake.  When it was finally done, cooled, cut into layers, and draped in a lavish amount of the mouth-watering icing, I sat down to enjoy a piece.

That's when I came to the conclusion that there is no substitute.  That piece of carrot cake, no matter how good, would not, could not, fill the chocolate void inside of me.  It could never satisfy my desire, my longing, my craving for chocolate.

And I wondered how often we try to fill the Jesus void inside of us with other things.  We buy shoes, clothes, household items, and all variety of material things to try and satiate the longings we have.  Some of us chase the almighty dollar, or recognition in our chosen field.  Some seek fulfillment in relationships, one after another, after another, after another.  Some folks turn to thrill seeking, death defying stunts to make them feel alive.  Others get hooked on a substance.

Jesus -- there is no substitute.

Only He is our Prince of Peace.  He is our security, our joy, our strength.  Only He can satisfy our soul-deep craving for unfailing love.  Only He can redeem us from darkness and set us completely free.  Unlike that piece of chocolate cake, Jesus really is calling my name.

Readers, I pray that you will realize that there is no substitute for Jesus.  I pray that you can identify the 'substance' you are using to try to fill the Jesus void in your life.  And I pray you will surrender it in favour of pursuing Christ.

Love, Darilyn

Another Update on What's New with Darilyn! :)

One of the most amazing events of my life transpired over the last week.  My daughter has a friend who found himself in a bit of trouble...  I am putting it a bit mildly.  He needed to kick a drug problem.  He waited two months to get into rehab, and the day he thought he was getting in -- they turned him down!

So my daughter called me all upset because she wanted so much to help him.  It was a Friday afternoon and the best I could do was find out about a program that had intakes on Monday.  So, on Monday I took this precious child of God in to hear about the program.

The long and short of it was this: the intake counsellor met us, asked him some questions about his hopes and desires for the future, and pulled some strings to get him in right away.  I mean, right away!  We went and got him an overnight bag, and a doctor's clearance.  He was scared (I was afraid for him too...) but we faced into it, and off he went.

He had to do 5 days of detox, instead of 10, and he is now into 60 days of Rehab.

Now, I have to tell you, I really feel like I witnessed a miracle.  This young man's mother thinks she owes it all to me.  But we know it is Christ in me who has made a difference for this young man.  Still, what a privilege to be part of it.  And I get to be part of it all as his miracle continues to unfold for the next 60 days.

As part of my support for him, I am giving up chocolate for 60 days.  Every time I feel like eating chocolate, I am going to pray for him instead.  :)  If he can give up one of the most addictive substances known to man, surely I can surrender my chocolate.

Please pray for him readers.  The Lord will know who it is.  :)

Love you so much readers.  You are never far from my mind, and you are never absent from my prayers.

Darilyn

What's been on my mind...

Beloved Readers,

Sorry it has been so long since I last blogged.  First of all, my husband surprised me at the end of January by suggesting we get a way for an impromptu vacation.  We flew down to Los Angeles and got on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera.  It was wonderful!!

The day after we got home, I sold my house.  Not the one I have been living in for the past two years and three months with my new husband, but the one in which I lived for seven years as a single mom with my daughter and son.  I had been holding onto it, renting it out and keeping up with the payments.  But I finally felt that letting it go was an important step in letting go of former things.  The Lord says, "Forget the former things, see I am doing a new thing.  Do you not perceive it?"

Well, yes, I perceive it.  So I sold my house.  It was kind of hard, I mean the heights of my growing children were marked on the door-frame between the kitchen and living room.  One can see how they overtook me in height, the dates recorded there beside each mark.  It was a bit sad to think of another family living there, but the home went for well above list price, so I suddenly felt much better.  It was a fulfilled promise, the Lord restored the years the locusts had eaten!  "The desires of the righteous will be fulfilled."

Me, righteous?  Well, I know my only righteousness is because I have accepted the Great Exchange that Christ offers -- His death on the cross so that I am off the hook for paying the wages of sin.  In fact, I have never been more keenly aware of my own frailties as I have been lately.  Marriage is hard.  Blended-Family Marriages are even harder.  This is why I had been writing on How to Train Your Dragon.

I needed my own advice more desperately than any of you readers needed it.  I needed to apply the principles that I observed in that film to my own situation.  And so I did, and what a world of difference it has made.

The truth is that instead of Training my Dragon, I ended up changing me.  I literally trained myself to be a better wife by implementing what I learned from that seemingly insignificant kid's movie.  As I said, my husband suddenly wanted to whisk me away on a cruise!

And so I got to thinking, "Hey, maybe I should take my Dragon Training blog series and make it into a book."  I hope and pray that the concepts, founded on God's Word, will help transform others' marriages too.  So that is what I've been doing.  So, I am sorry that I haven't been adding to this blog -- but rest assured that the Lord is hard at work, conforming me to His image, and calling me onward to do more.

I trust and pray that the Lord is revealing more of himself to you as you seek him with your whole heart. Blessings, precious readers.

Love, Darilyn

How to Train Your Dragon Part 8

It was almost magical the way Hiccup was able to win the confidence of Toothless the Dragon, to become his friend, and eventually be able to climb aboard his back and fly.

Hiccup used an amazing amount of wisdom.  He seemed to always know the right things to do in order to win the trust of the dragon.  I couldn't help but think that if we all applied the same principles to our relationships, how much better would they be?

I firmly believe that we can apply Hiccup's strategies to our marriages and reap amazing results.  Something I learned from Hiccup is:
 
Be Persistent!

Any great achievement is going to come at a cost.  Success doesn't just come knocking on your door.  Opportunity knocks, but Success you have to work for.  It does not come easily, which is why we must develop an attitude of persistence.

In order to be persistent, we must be convinced in our core that the prize is worth the cost.  Hiccup instinctively knew that it would be worth every amount of inconvenience and effort to assist the downed dragon.  Did he begin the relationship with Toothless thinking that he would one day ride and subdue him?  I don't think so.

Hiccup simply wanted to take responsibility for the damage he had done to the tail of the animal.  In order to help Toothless, he had to win his trust.  Hiccup was willing to do "whatever it takes" to win the dragon's trust.

Have you broken your dragon's trust?  Unless you are reading this on your honeymoon, I'm guessing you have.  Are you willing to do whatever it takes to win back that trust?  It may take time.  It may take lots of time.  But will be worth it.  Marriages fail because one or both partners give up too soon.

If you remain persistent long enough, eventually your dragon will come around.  The trick is to simply, "Never, never, never give up." - Winston Churchill.

Readers, thank you so much for visiting my blog.  I am praying that the truths you find here and apply to your lives will be a great help to you.  Most of all I pray that you will find that Jesus is enough to meet all your needs.  Don't give up, dear ones.

Love,

Darilyn

How to Train Your Dragon Part 7

If this movie is not really about a boy training a dragon but instead about someone learning to love their spouse, then this is something else I learned:

Adjust Your Behaviour!

In the movie, we saw this over and over again.  As Hiccup learned something new about Toothless he would adjust his behavior in order to present a consistent message of care, love, and acceptance.

When he brought Toothless a huge basket of fish and various fish-type items, he discovered Toothless found the eel particularly distasteful.

He did not:

• make excuses for why he brought the eel
• question why Toothless didn't like eel
• blame the dragon for not liking eel when "everybody else likes it" 
• criticize Toothless for being picky, or 
• accuse the dragon of being ungrateful.

Hiccup simply took the eel out of the way.  That's it.  Just take the eel away.  And don't bring any again.

Do you know what your eel is?  If you don't, ask God to reveal it to you.  He is faithful to answer those types of prayers.  He wants you to adjust your behaviour to bring Him glory.  Good, godly marriages bring Him glory.

Have you been bringing your dragon an eel for supper?  Stop.  It just isn't seen as a gift, even if you perhaps intended it to be one.  It is nothing personal.  Your dragon just doesn't like eel.

*****

Hiccup continuously made adjustments with regard to the the tail contraption he built for Toothless.

He made many revisions to its design in order to get it just right.  Then he made many attempts at controlling the artificial appendage in tandem and cooperation with Toothless -- even while in mid-flight.

That is a perfect picture of how marriage works:  you try, and then you try again.  You make mistakes, then you make revisions and try again.  You work with the limitations and strengths of your partner.  You make adjustments, accommodations, and more revisions to improve what is working, but could work better.

Hiccup could never fly without Toothless, and Toothless would never fly again if it were not for Hiccup.
If we want to get our marriages off the ground, we have to realize:

1. We cannot do it without our partner.
2. We will have to make adjustments to compensate for our partners' weaknesses.
3. It will be worth it.

Readers, I know you can do it.  With God's help we can "soar on eagles wings because we trust in Him."  I am praying for you.

Love,

Darilyn