Everything Beautiful In Its Time

My eight year old daughter and I glided through the water in a kayak this weekend. I paddled, she gazed at the surroundings. A gentle rain danced on the calm, smooth water, leaving ringlet curls that gradually grew and melded together. We travelled past Lily Pads with emerging yellow blossoms and over rocks and fish and branches that had fallen in to the lake long ago. The clouds in the western sky looked as if they had been brushed across a giant canvas.

As I dipped and lifted the paddle, the kayak slid through the water, I noticed the ripples that stretched out from each stroke of the paddle. I sighed to myself, "Ahhh, the ripples. How great I was feeling the ripple effect of consequences in my life, not of my doing."

The silence was broken by my sweet little daughters voice.

"Mom, did you know that God is an artist? But He doesn't paint with a brush, He uses His words to create everything. Isn't that amazing, Mom? Isn't it beautiful?"

And so my heart and mind immediately turned from the ripples, to the sky where I saw God's work unfolding as the sun was setting. The sky above was beautiful. I thought of how God called creation in to being with His words in Genesis, and then I thought of how He speaks to us with His words. I thought of how much I love my daughter and her insight and then I thought of how much God loves her, and me.

Dear reader, the same powerful Creator God who made the heavens and the earth and everything in it, including you, uses His words to speak tenderly to you and tell you of His love. In the midst of our pain He is creating beauty. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He made everything beautiful in its time." It can be difficult to see. Sometimes, I know that I am distracted by thinking about the consequences of the pain in my life instead of focusing on His beauty, or the beauty that He is creating in me through my circumstances. But God is the Creator of all beauty and He is at work, always. Trust Him as He beautifies you.

Vision Correction Needed

My ability to read small print seems to be increasingly challenged. I went to the eye doctor and sure enough, my eye sight is worsening; I need new reading glasses. When I read without my "readers," well, I can't read. Everything looks blurry. Either the children have to read for me, or I have to send everyone out on a bear hunt for my glasses. What I really need to do is get more pairs, but I keep on forgetting. Ahhhh, getting older. It can have its challenges.

As I was reflecting, and somewhat, perhaps, grieving the gradual loss of my vision, I began to think. Not only am I more and more dependent on my glasses, I realize that I am more and more dependent on God's Word. In the same way that I can not see to read without my reading glasses, I can't "read" and understand myself or my circumstances, without God's Word. It is essential for me to see the truth.

The truth is important to me. I want to be wise and discerning about the way in which God is asking me to walk. I want to understand what His truth is and then see how to apply it to my life. I want to be able to capture the vision that God has for my life and for my family.

Psalm 119:130 says, "The unfolding of your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple." As we read more and and more of God's Word and seek Him in it, it is like a light that illuminates the truth and the areas of darkness. God's Word gives us understanding on how to live.

To see ourselves, dear reader, and our circumstances through the lenses of God's Word exposes truth. Truth is vital in a deep and abiding relationship with the Lord. In John 8:31 Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." We are to read it, digest it, and allow God's truth, through His Word, to nourish us and set us free.

The children and I were riding in the car the other day and the subject of lying came up. We were working through a situation, and by asking an array of questions, I discovered the truth. A little while later my ten year old son said to me, "Wow, Mom! You are 'the great lie detective!' You can figure out anything!"

Well, I don't know if I am the "great lie detective" but I do know that God calls us to seek truth. When we do, we are able to see clearer with spiritual eyes. God's Word shows us Who He is and it shows us about ourselves and the vision that He has for our lives. For me, I know that vision correction is needed. I need God's Word to help me with that. How about you?

Jesus' Tender and Merciful Hand

"Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. 'You of little of faith,'" he said, 'why did you doubt?'" (Matthew 14:31).

Jesus sent His disciples to the other side of the lake, while He stayed back to pray. While the disciples were out on the open water, a storm blew up and the disciples were likely confused, if not scared. Jesus met them in the storm, by walking on the water. When they saw Him, they were frightened, and Jesus tried to reassure them of Who He was. Peter, in his boldness, asked Jesus to show Himself to be truly Himself, by having Peter walk out on the water. Jesus replied, "Come," and Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on water.

But when Peter saw his surroundings, he became afraid, began to sink and cried out to Jesus, "Lord, save me!"

Jesus, tenderly and mercifully, reached out His hand, caught Peter and said to Him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

I do not hear condemnation from Jesus, but gentleness, from a Saviour Who wants to reassure and comfort. It is such a personal touch on Jesus part. He could have just put Himself and Peter back in the boat at that instant, but instead, He grabs hold of His hand and catches him.

Storms occur in life, dear reader, don't they? Sometimes they are quick to pass, and other times they seem to last and last. You may see Jesus in your storm, and your desire may be to step out in obedience and walk closer towards Him. At first, you are amazed at what you are able to walk on or through. It almost defies understanding. Oftentimes, though, fear stirs up and we take our eyes off of Jesus and focus on our circumstances.

In the storm Jesus is there and He invites us to "Come." If you are walking out in obedience to Jesus in a difficult situation, trust Him to support and sustain you in the most unimaginable way, as you keep your eyes focused on Him and not on your circumstances.

Sometimes, in the midst of walking out in obedience, though, our faith can be tossed about and washed with worry. We may become fearful and cry out, like Peter, "Lord, save me!" We may feel as if we are sinking, but it is here that Jesus reaches out and grabs our hand, catches us and reassures us of His love. I received this small picture in the mail this past week from a sweet friend. I am reminded that when life gets hard and I feel as if I am beginning to lose my footing, that Jesus immediately is present to catch me and hold my hand. And I am confident, too, that He is faithful to deliver and calm the storm, some day, in His way.

"He Loves Me. He Loves Me Not." We Need Not Doubt

I really do know better, but sometimes I find myself doubting God's love for me. How about you? Sometimes I am like a little girl, with a daisy gripped in my hand, plucking off petal after petal, questioning whether "He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not."

I don't like to admit it. I'd rather say I am always completely confident, but trials and turmoil in life happen and I am tempted to wonder and doubt. So, why do we doubt God's love for us?

Are we afraid? Has our courage melted and we think that perhaps God's love has dissipated along with our courage? Do we fear that it may not be true?

Do we forget what God has done for us, either because we are too busy or we do not hold on to the truth of His love? Like the Israelites after being led out of Egypt, do we forget what God has rescued us from?

Do we doubt it because of our shame? Do we let the sinful experiences of our past or present stand in the way, blocking our view of who God really is and how much He loves us, despite what we have done? Do condemn ourselves when Jesus is offering us life and love?

Or are we ignorant? Do we simply not know, perhaps because we have not looked around us? Are our hearts hardened causing us not to believe and thus turning our backs on Him? Do we go our own way, and in the process, we squander precious His love?

Does our pain hold us back from believing that God loves us through and amidst the hurt that we feel? Have other people hurt us and now it is too great for us to believe that God truly loves us when others have not loved us well? Have we been betrayed, belittled, left behind, tossed out of some one's heart, and we can't believe that God has a heart for us?

There are lots of reasons that we doubt His love, but the truth is that God does love us with an unfailing love. "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son in to the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:9-10).

God has come and has shown His love for us. He seeks to save the parts of our hearts that doubt His love due to our fears, forgetfulness, shame, ignorance, hardness and hurts. He reaches out and shows us His love through His Word and through our circumstances.

Isaiah 54:10 says, "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you."

Regardless of what the daisy of childhood may have told us or is telling us, and regardless of what the enemy of our souls is whispering to us (or screaming to us!) we need to believe what God’s Word tells us, to be true. And if we are willing to look at the experiences that God has given us, we will see how He is actively expressing His love for us. He loves us. He loves us. He loves us. We need not doubt.

Fully Equipped with the Armor of God

Simply put, we do not have what it takes, only God does. Whether it is as a spouse, a parent, a sibling, a friend, or a worker we can not fight the battle against sin without God's equipping power. He gives the orders, we suit up and stand firm in to the battle, by faith. There are battles to fight every day -- big battles. Let's face it, every battle against the heinousness of sin is big.

Ephesians 6:10-17 says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, which to you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

The armor of God is not something that we can pick up at a department store or a convenience store. It will not be found in a magazine, a self-help book, or through talking to other people. It is not found inside of us by our own intelligence, ability, power. The armor belongs to God and He is the One who provides it for us to fight the battle.When you wake in the morning and get dressed, also dress yourself with this most precious and impenetrable armor. When you are in the midst of a trial, do not forget it. There are 4 things to put on, and 2 things to pick-up.

Put on the:
Belt of Truth -- God's truth
Breastplate of Righteousness - being right with God and pursuing holiness
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace -- feet made strong with the knowledge and understanding of the Gospel
Helmet of Salvation -- the protective covering of the security of who we are in Jesus and what He has done for us

Pick-up the:
Shield of Faith -- extinguishes the arrows of the evil one
Sword of the Spirit -- depending on God through his Word and prayer for the strength that is needed

Each day, when you are faced with a battle against evil and sin, remember that it is a spiritual battle, only to be fought with spiritual weapons. Donn the armor, step out and stand firm. Put on the full armor; don't leave any parts off, leaving you vulnerable and ill-equipped for the battle. Trust God to fully equip you with His armor for the battle that He asks you to stand firm in. Dear soldier of the Lord, keep up the good fight, stand firm and be strong in the Lord.

A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break

I walked along the edge of the lake in shin high water. My toes flexed in to the sand and left foot prints that soon melted and were gone. The water lapped along the shore with a rhythmic beat and the sun reflected little sprinkles of light across the waves. I wandered along thinking of what was transpiring in my life, what God was doing and what it meant to trust in Him. I was feeling tired and discouraged.

I noticed a small patch of reeds along the shore Some of the reeds appeared strong and reaching upward, swaying freely in the light breeze, but a few were bent over. They were still green and alive, but they were not upright. The patch of reeds was not present the year before; the water was too shallow, and the reeds did not grow unless they were firmly footed below the water. The verse from Isaiah 42:3 came to my mind. "A bruised reed He will not break, and a smouldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice" (NIV).

The bruised reed and smouldering wick represent those who are weary and in need of strength. The bruised reed symbolizes someone who has been damaged by something in its environment, and is feeling bent down and unable to carry the burdens. The smouldering wick symbolizes someone whose inner strength is diminishing, feeling as if they are lacking hope and resisting giving up.

In some sense, we are all bruised and smouldering. The effects of sin have taken their toll. We are all fragile and vulnerable to the world around us. Some of us can hide them better. We have become very good at it after years of having to do so. Sometimes, there is no hiding. It is open for all to see, and we may now have the added burden of shame weighing us down.

Dear reader, have you been bruised? Are you weak and burdened by the trials and pain of this world? Are you feeling damaged, like a reed who is still alive, but has been bent over by the winds and storms? Is your passion smouldering? Are you feeling like you are lacking hope? Are you discouraged, wounded, disappointed, dismayed, or afraid?

Choose Jesus. He will not break you, but restore you to a full life with Him. He will not allow your hope to be extinguished, but will fan in to flame your hope and allow it to burn brightly in a very dark world, where His light is so desperately needed to illuminate the way for others who are hurting. When your heart is set firm in the One who is the Living Water, you can believe that He will, one day, right all the wrongs and all will be well.

The hard part is that we do not always know what that will look like. We may have desires for one thing, but Jesus knows that it is another that is right for us. We must trust, though, that He holds all justice in His hands and knows just what He is doing.

Take heart, dear reader. You are cared for and loved by a powerful God, and yet, nothing escapes His tender care. Your brokenness and weariness matter to Him. Allow Him to lift your downcast face and turn it to Himself. Trust Him. He is faithful.

Face to Face with Grace

I knew that it was time. God made it evident. I dreaded coming face to face with realities that were the result of something I had not asked for; something I had been hurt deeply by.

I called out to the Lord, asking Him for His strength and trusting that He would go before me. He did, as always. I stepped in to the situatin realizing that what I was coming face to face with in my pain was grace, God's grace. I knew, instantly, that as I moved forward in faith and obeyed His call for me to face this place of pain, that He was ready to meet me there and hold my hand and my heart. He did not let go.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." His grace is sufficient. As I dealt with facts that were hard for me, I realized that I was experiencing the power of the living God in my life; His perfect power. Only by His grace could I begin to work through the pain, and believe that He had something for me in it.

In our weakness, God gives us His strength. It can be scary to face things that are hard. When we realize the time is at hand, we can call out to Him, and trust that He will answer.

Psalm 138:3 says, "When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted." To be bold is to be fearless and daring. To be steadfast is to be firm, steady, unfaltering, unwavering and unshakable. Other translations of the Bible say that when we call to God he makes our life large with strength. He energizes us. He gives us the strength that we need, making us great with strength in our soul. We can and will be bold and stouthearted when we walk with God.

Dear reader, perhaps God is calling you to face hard times from your past or your present. It can be overwhelming and filled with uncertainty. Call out to God. Ask Him when and in which way you should walk, and trust that as you do, in obedience to Him, He will make you "bold and stouthearted." He will not fail you. As you face the past and the present, dependent on Him, you will come face to face with His grace, and you will see that His strength is made perfect in your weakness. It is a powerful experience to be filled with the One true God.

Our Grief Unraveled Our God Redeems

Have you ever unraveled a skein of yarn in order to knit a project? First you must dig down in to the skein to find the end piece. When you reach in, you discover a tangled mass of threads, bound together and wrapped around one another. As you pull out the mass, you notice that the strands run across one another, up and down, back and forth, without any order.

After searching and teasing out the strands, you eventually find the end of the yarn, however, your work has just begun. Now the mass of strands must be untangled before you can start creating what you set out to create, like a sweater or a scarf.

This is how it can be when we begin to discover and get to the bottom of our grief and its complexities and mysteries. We may discover that the myriad of emotions entangled in our grief are great. Disappointment and regret and fear and rage and dread and loneliness and inadequacy and helplessness, and a great amount more, are all wound together.

As we desire to live the life that God has for us and try and work out the mess of our grief, we realize that in order to do so we may have to dig down deep and find the end of our grief (which may be the beginning) and untangle the emotions and the memories. There may be a lot of work that needs to be done in order to make sense of the mess and begin to straighten it all out.
Without God, of course, it is impossible to understand any of it. We need Him to help guide us through the process. He holds our hand to help us untangle the mess, and then takes the mess and shows us how to make something of great beauty.

In the end, we may realize that the emotions that we experience in grief are the same emotions that we can experience in living a full life. Now, however, they are laid down differently, not tangles, but side by side in a pattern that is vibrant, useful and honoring to God.

Seek the Lord our God, dear reader, with your grief and your sadness and ask Him to make something beautiful with it. Entrust the tangled mess to the Master's Hand and perfect plan. Psalm 34:22 says that "The Lord redeems His servants." God can and will redeem the lives of those He loves. He takes our messes and makes them lovely. Trust Him to unravel your grief and give you life, today.

Be Strong in the Lord

I surprised myself the other day! I went to my boot camp, begrudgingly. It was testing day, and I do not like testing day. It is enough for me to get there, let alone to have to be tested!

We had three different skills to do. They were the same ones that we did last time. This time we would see if we improved. I grumbled under my breath, "I suppose I'll do worse this time." (I know, being pessimistic isn't healthy, but we all have our crabby days.) I got down in to the modified push-up position. The test was to do as many push-ups as one can until "fail," in other words, your muscles are shivering and shaking, and you can not push your body up off of the ground one more time. So, I went at it. Thirty. Forty. Fifty. Fifty-five. Fifty-seven. (I was determined to hit a round number). Sixty -- and that was it. Not only could I not get up, I couldn't even roll over. However, I was shocked. I did 30 more than I did one month ago!

I couldn't believe that I had made that much progress. Was I really getting stronger? Was all that work I was doing really more than misery and pain? I had been going, faithfully, to the boot camp three times a week for the past month, but each time I felt worn out. I was working on modifying my diet, as well, but I just couldn't believe it!

I think it is a parallel to our gaining strength in the Lord. There are times when we are going through some serious "resistance training." Not only are we having to work against alot of pain or sadness or suffering, but we are feeling like we want to resist having to do it. In the process, though, we learn that staying committed to the Lord is the key to our growing stronger in Him. We develop perseverance over time (unfortunately, it's the only way that perseverance can be developed) and this adds to our strength. We learn more about what to take in to our minds (the truth) and what to fight to leave out (the lies). We develop a focused faith that takes one day at a time.

1 Peter 5:10 says, "And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

Strong, firm and steadfast. That is what I was feeling, physically after realizing that I had become stronger by being committed to coming to the workouts, eating well and working hard. I didn't give up, even though I wanted to, sometimes. Spiritually, it may be a bit different, but God gives us opportunities to grow stronger in Him as we stay committed to Him, watch what we take in to our minds and hearts and pursue a life of obedience to Him. Don't give up. It's not always easy to do the right thing, but blessings do come along the path.

Be strong in the Lord, dear reader. God uses our circumstances to strengthen us for the calling that He has for our lives. Trust in Him. Obey Him. Seek Him. You will grow stronger and stronger, and you may even surprise yourself one day.

Let Us Encourage One Another

"Don't fear the future -- God's already there."

"Be strong in the Lord."

"When you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, turn to the Light of the world."

Stuck to the mirror in my bathroom were three sticky notes. I was not expecting them when I looked up from brushing my teeth this morning. A friend had put them there the day before. I smiled. I knew the Lord was using her to encourage me, and it was working.

They were simple notes, with simple truths. Simple to read, but not always simple to truly believe. They are truths that I need to be reminded of, time and time again.

God gives us one another. My post is brief tonite, as it is late. But I want to encourage you to encourage others in their faith, as I was encouraged today. It was a little thing; it did not cost much in money or time, but it was a gift of great value to me as I looked in to the mirror, feeling insecure and uncertain, wondering what God had for me in this day.

What God had for me was the encouragement of a dear sister in the Lord, who took the time to fill me with God's truths and remind me of God's love.

Hebrews 10:22-25 in the call to persevere says, "let us draw near to God ... let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess ... let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds ... let us not give up meeting together ... let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Dear reader, never underestimate the power and the grace that God fills the smallest act of kindness with. It overflows and brings refreshment to His people, strengthening them to persevere and to continue to walk upright in the path that He has asked them to walk. Take time to reach out and make a difference in the life of a friend who is hurting. Your investment will have eternal rewards.

Grabbing Hold of God (and Letting Go)

"Watch me, Mom!" my little girl ran to the monkey bars and climbed to the top. She reached across to the first bar and began swinging forward, grabbing hold of the next bar. Grabbing hold and letting go. Grabbing hold and letting go. Her legs wiggled as she seemed to almost float through the air, making her way across the set of bars, reaching the end with a giggle, she climbed down, "I did it!"

In order for her to move forward, she had to grab hold of what was in front of her, and then let go of what was behind. She had to do it in that order. She could not let go first and then grab hold; if she did, she would fall to the ground and not get to the end. At least not on that try. Grabbing hold and letting go required strength and timing and endurance.

So it is when we trust God. We reach ahead, holding on to Him as we look forward, but in order for us to move forward with God, we also need to be willing to let go of what is behind.

In reaching forward and grabbing hold, we need to be confident of what we are reaching for --Whom we are reaching for. We need to be able to trust that which we are holding on to is dependable and firm. We need to know what to hold on to. In life, God is the only firm support we can hold on to. We can depend on Him to be present and to be faithful. He is always there; sometimes we just need to make the choice to reach out and grab on to Him.

Perhaps the trickier part (at least for me) is the letting go. I'm not sure why it is; maybe it requires more faith. It can be scary. But letting go, and trusting God, does not mean ignoring the circumstances or the pain. It does not mean minimizing it, denying it, or rationalizing it. It does not mean forgetting hurtful things that have happened. (It may mean forgiving the person, however). Letting go does not make the circumstances that occurred null and void. They are still real. It does not mean that our pain is not valid. It just means letting go of trying to control the outcome, seeking His good and perfect will and trusting God to handle it.

Psalm 37:5 says, "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this. He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." Trusting God to handle it means seeking Him, committing our way to Him, asking Him for the wisdom and discernment necessary to move forward. In doing this, we must believe that He will show us the truth and what needs to be done next. It requires a great amount of strength, timing and endurance, all which God will give.

It is a series of grabbing hold and letting go, one after another on our journey of faith through fair and stormy weather. In the process of grasping more and more of God and Who He is, we may also need to be willing to let go of more and more. It is hard to move forward in our relationship with God and our trust in God if we are holding on to controlling our own future.

These are truths that I must remember and believe every day. What about you, dear reader? In which way is God asking you to grab hold of Him today? What may He be asking you to let go of? Seek Him for the truth and for the way. Trust Him to care for you and to take care of what is burdening you. He is faithful and just. He will do what is right and good, for He loves you very much, with an unfailing love.

God "Forgets-Us-Not"

Yesterday, I glanced down along my front path, and noticed a small flowering plant that had sprung up, through the mulch. It was a "Forget-me-not." It is such a lovely, fragile little flower, but yet must be one of great strength, that it could make its way up through the tangled, matted mulch that covers the ground around the bushes in my front yard.

"Forget-me-not!" I sighed to the Lord, "Please, forget-me-not!"

Then today, I opened the overhead garage door and two birds flew in to the garage. As I got in the car, they landed on the windshield wiper in front of me. They both looked at me, cocked their heads to the left, then to the right, and flew away. It was very odd.

Now, I will admit that I have been feeling a bit fuzzy lately. I'm not sure if it is due to the busy schedule that I have been keeping, coming off of speaking at bible study or just (did I just say just?) the chronic wear and tear of the trials, but my mind has been a bit, well, disconnected. I can care for and love on my children and do my "activities of daily living" but it seems like I just can't "think" anymore. I feel as if I have lost my creativity and my energy.

But, true to God's faithfulness, He brings things by my path and to my attention, anyway, despite my limitations. A "Forget-me-not" plant that is lovely and fragile and strong and two sparrows? What was God trying to tell me?

So, I went to God's Word and read for awhile. He reassured me of His love and His care through the Psalms. He exhorted me to continue doing good in the book of Titus. And then He brought me to Luke 12. Of course He did, I thought. My pastor preached on it on Sunday.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (Luke 12:6-7).

And this is what I heard, "Do not be afraid, dear one, of what you are facing. You are worth more than those sparrows that I placed in front of you. You are worth more than many sparrows. You are worth alot to me! I have not forgotten them, and I have not forgotten you. You are like that fragile, lovely little flower, that I have made strong, and have helped to come out of much (mulch). I know that you are tired and your mind is full of many details. I want you to fill it with Me. I can not forget you; do not forget Me. Come and spend time with me, and I will give you rest and I will care for you through my Word."

Having just taught on "Abiding with Jesus," I would think that I would learn. But, I forget. Praise God that He does not. Dear reader, be strengthened and encouraged in this truth; He forgets us not. "He has remembered His love and His faithfulness ..." (Psalm 98:3). What is God showing you?