tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25697710659290957612023-06-20T08:49:59.594-04:00My Unswerving HopeLife rarely turns out like we planned. Does that mean we give up hope? Not on your life! Even in the midst of what looks like hopeless circumstances, there is an unswerving hope that can be shaken, battered and bruised, but never completely wiped away. This is the story of my daily faith walk. If you have found yourself in a hopeless place, please join me and let's take this journey together--the journey in search of unswerving hope.ccrawf2002@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15839563810792621439noreply@blogger.comBlogger318125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-5603608182947055782017-02-14T09:23:00.000-05:002017-02-14T09:23:58.866-05:00An Unassuming SaviorI love that Jesus is a carpenter--unassuming, normal, average, maybe even below average economically. He doesn't promote himself. He could easily disappear into a crowd. His cousin, John, the one who prepared the way for Him, didn't know for sure that he had the right guy. Until he begins his public ministry, he doesn't stand out in a crowd. Then when he does go into full time ministry, He doesn't draw attention to himself... he doesn't have to. People are just drawn to him. Maybe because he's so much like them... but not.<br />
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He's so average... but not.<br />
He's so normal... yet supernatural.<br />
He's so one of us... but something's different.<br />
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He breathes the same air, wears clothes made by human hands, walks on earth's dust. That dust even clings to him as it does to us. He sweats. He eats bread and drinks wine. His blood, like ours, is red. He is not untouchable.<br />
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But one touch from Him... will change your life. Because, as normal as he is, there is something special about him.<br />
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Yes, He walks on earth's dust, but He also walks on water. He drinks water, but he also turns it into wine--not just any wine, but the best wine anyone has ever tasted. He breaks bread and eats it with his friends. He also multiplies a few loaves and fish into enough to feed 5,000 families... with baskets full left over.<br />
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Then he becomes bread--broken bread. He pours out his blood. Broken bread and poured out wine. Crushed, bruised, broken and poured out for us. This unassuming savior becomes the sacrificial lamb that pays the ultimate price for our sin... for all sin. He becomes our righteousness... paves the way for us to come before the throne of God.<br />
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Do you know this unassuming savior? There's a book about his life. It's really good. You should read it! You'll come to love this savior too!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-74551111876966817852016-12-19T10:36:00.003-05:002016-12-19T10:37:32.153-05:00My Watchtower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint. Habakkuk 2:1</i></blockquote>
My journal is my watchtower. It is here that I wait to see what the Lord says. I start out writing my own words--sometimes words of faith--sometimes words of doubt and questioning--and yes, sometimes complaints. But if I stick with it long enough, the words I write begin to come from God.<br />
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But I don't come here often enough, and I don't usually stay long enough. It takes discipline. There are no flashy colors, no enticing advertisements, no clever marketing--just the still small voice of God, wooing my closer. It's easy to miss... to get distracted... to be enticed by the scents, sounds, and flavors of the world. But if I press in... if I stick with it. I can touch the fringe of His garment... get just a whiff of the anointing oil that drips off His feet. I may get a glimpse of His back as He passes by. And if I do, I am strengthened. I begin to reflect Him just a tad. I am changed.<br />
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I need so much more change because I don't come here often enough... I don't usually linger long enough. May 2017 be a year of lingering moments at my watchtower, hearing from God.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-53294134524413929002016-08-30T09:17:00.000-04:002016-08-30T09:17:14.204-04:00Allergies, Addiction, and John 8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This post showed up on my facebook feed several times last week. It breaks my heart.<br />
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I am as angry about the EpiPen scandal as everyone else. The cost they have put on it is just criminal. There is no justification for that.<br />
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So, what does the EpiPen have to do with NarCan? Absolutely nothing.<br />
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The amount that drug companies are charging for the EpiPen is wrong--and so is devaluing folks who have found themselves in bondage to addiction that is so strong they are unable to free themselves.<br />
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As long as America's addicts remain nameless, faceless "junkies," instead of being recognized as someone's child or parent, they have no hope of recovery. The person who tweeted this message and those who agree with her are part of the problem. Yes, we live in a screwed up world, and you are part of the reason. I am part of the reason. A decade ago, I would have agreed and shared this post. But life happened to me, and I am changed. Thank God I'm changed. Loving an addict changes your perspective. <br />
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Devaluing the life of someone struggling with addiction does not add value to to the life of a child who needs an EpiPen. Let's value all life, and have some compassion for those who already feel like the scum of the earth. Let's give them a reason to work toward recovery.<br />
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This tweet knocked me for a loop. I was so upset by it, I couldn't focus on much of anything else for a couple of days. As I tried to focus on my Bible reading, I couldn't get past <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+8%3A1-11&version=NIV" target="_blank">John 8:1-11</a>. Then I realized the connection.<br />
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The woman in John 8 reminds me a little of America's addicts, prostitutes and homeless. Everyone wants to condemn them, ignore them, let them die from their self-destructive choices. But not Jesus... he condemns no one.<br />
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The religious folks wanted to use this woman as an example... an opportunity to trick Jesus... a basis for accusing Him. They devalued her--caring nothing for her life. "Let her die from her own bad choices," they said. But Jesus didn't buy into it. He values everyone... He values every life. That's why I love Him so.<br />
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As religious folks today, how can we devalue the lives of those trapped in addiction in order to make a point about the criminal actions of a pharmaceutical company? Jesus gave his life for children who need EpiPens as well as drug addicts. They all need Jesus. We all need Jesus. <br />
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We are called to love God and to love others. How will you love someone today?<br />
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-57502305173664245142016-04-21T10:14:00.004-04:002016-04-21T10:14:48.803-04:00Leading From BehindSo, I hesitate to throw this out there, but I’m taking the leap! I’m not saying this applies to but me… The loud one who loves attention and the limelight, the affirmation, the credit, and sometimes, even the glory—God forgive me.<br />
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Some of what I’ve heard from the Lord this week… the exact words that came into my head were “Lead from Behind.” I googled it, and I guess it’s a phrase that’s been used a lot. I must have heard it before, but didn’t remember it. It’s kind of like shepherding. I also heard, "Empowering from the Shadows." Then I read this scripture this morning, which spoke to me on a very personal level, and ended with the leading from behind note.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Psalm 77</b></span><br /><br />For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of Asaph.<br /><br />1 I cry out to God; yes, I shout.<br /> Oh, that God would listen to me!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="color: red;">It feels like He’s not listening, so I shout. I yell. God, please listen to me! Hear me! See me!</span></b></i></span><br /><br />2 When I was in deep trouble,<br /><br /> I searched for the Lord.<br />All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,<br /> but my soul was not comforted.<br />3 I think of God, and I moan,<br /> overwhelmed with longing for his help. Interlude<br /><br />4 You don’t let me sleep.<br /> I am too distressed even to pray!<br />5 I think of the good old days,<br /> long since ended,<br />6 when my nights were filled with joyful songs.<br /> I search my soul and ponder the difference now.<br />7 Has the Lord rejected me forever?<br /> Will he never again be kind to me?<br />8 Is his unfailing love gone forever?<br /> Have his promises permanently failed?<br />9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?<br /> Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude<br /><br />10 And I said, “This is my fate;<br /> the Most High has turned his hand against me.”<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="color: red;"> I’m overwhelmed! Can’t sleep, can’t pray, feeling rejected and alone. The door of compassion slammed shut! This is my fate: God hates me.</span></b></i></span><br /><br />11 But then <i><b><span style="color: red;">BUT THEN!</span></b></i> I recall all you have done, O Lord;<br /> I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="color: red;">But then, I remember what you’ve done in the past, not just in my life, but also in the lives of others… and I praise You. And my pity party comes to an end. You pull me out of the endless swirling of negativity in my head.</span></b></i></span><br /><br />12 They are constantly in my thoughts.<br /> I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><i><b>I meditate on Your character, God. I think about who You are and I praise You. I am grateful. I count your gifts.</b></i></span></span><br /><br />13 O God, your ways are holy.<br /> Is there any god as mighty as you?<br />14 You are the God of great wonders!<br /> You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.<br />15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people,<br /> the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Interlude<br /><br />16 When the Red Sea saw you, O God,<br /> its waters looked and trembled!<br /> The sea quaked to its very depths.<br />17 The clouds poured down rain;<br /> the thunder rumbled in the sky.<br /> Your arrows of lightning flashed.<br />18 Your thunder roared from the whirlwind;<br /> the lightning lit up the world!<br /> The earth trembled and shook.<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><i><b>I picture what it must have been like to have been in Your presence that day. Thunder rumbling; lightning flashing; earthquakes shaking; waters trembling; rain pouring; wind whirling… </b></i></span></span><br />19 Your road led through the sea,<br /> your pathway through the mighty waters—<br /> a pathway no one knew was there!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">And then… AND THEN… The roaring… the chaos... the raging waters… were brought to order, tamed… split in two… and the pathway opened up… Split wide open! It suddenly became clear. No one had known it was there, and yet, there it was, wide and dry. No question about which way to go. YOU led the way, and your servants led from behind. Your shepherds… your leaders led from behind.</span></i></b></span><br /><br />20 You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep,<br /><br /> with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-14113926352867511962016-03-09T09:11:00.000-05:002016-03-09T09:11:28.436-05:00Queen of Denial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jesus was very clear in Matthew 26:32 that he would die, be raised and see the disciples again on earth... specifically, Galilee.<br />
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In their shock and grief, did the disciples forget that He said that? There had to be so much swirling in their heads that weekend. PTSD was not yet a thing, but I'm certain they had it after Christ's crucifixion.<br />
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When He said those words, they didn't want to believe Him. They remained in their denial even as He was trying to prepare them for the days ahead. They chose not to believe Him. They chose not to hear Him. Maybe "chose" is not the right word. Their brains didn't want to believe Him. Did they subconsciously block His words?<br />
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I think I totally did that when my mom was dying. She tried to prepare me. And it wasn't just words. She was so sick--she was dying right before my eyes and my selfish brain could not deal. So I blocked it. I even told someone it was "all in her head." I can't imagine what they must have thought. What a selfish, spoiled little brat.<br />
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I'm so grateful that God allowed me to see my sin, confess it and be forgiven. From that point on, though my default is still denial, I work really hard to see things for what they are, to work through them and obey the Lord in them. I still fail... often... but I am better. And I am more thankful for His grace than ever. That's my unswerving hope.<br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-64033478425398087482016-03-07T09:55:00.000-05:002016-03-07T09:55:50.622-05:00The Gift of Grief RevisitedI wrote most of the following entry about five years ago. As I pray for another mom who has a milestone to get through today, I am reminded of it. I made a few edits, but this, for me, is probably my most memorable post.<br />
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As I woke up this morning, I had a picture in my head of
grief being like a gift. (The image above doesn't even come close, but it's the best I could do.) I know that sounds strange, but it’s true. It’s a gift
that no one really wants, but we all receive at some point. Some of us
receive it earlier in life. Some receive it more often. But if you ever love
anyone, chances are, you will receive the gift of grief somewhere along the
way.<br />
<br />
My grief is wrapped up in a beautiful box. Early in my grief journey, I carried
it with me everywhere I went. It was heavy and it consumed every moment of
every day. It invaded every decision, every action, every move I made. I
couldn’t escape it. I couldn’t go into Wal Mart without carrying this giant
gift with me. It was heavy and cumbersome. I felt like everyone was looking at
me and my conspicuous package. I felt like I had “Grieving Mom” tattooed across
my forehead. I would think, “Yes, I’m the one… the mom of the one you read about in the
newspaper last weekend. She was my sunshine and my delight and now she’s gone.
I am her grieving mother.”<br />
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As time went by, I was able to leave my gift at home more often. It was still
there. It was still mine, but I didn’t have to carry it with me everywhere I
went. Now, almost seven years after my daughter’s death, (it's almost 12 now.) it’s like I keep my
gift on a shelf. Every now and then, especially on holidays, birthdays, and
what would have been milestones in her life, I take my gift down off the shelf.
I open it up and take out my grief. I hold it in my hands, turning it over and
over. I feel the weight of it, the hardness of it. The coldness of it. I know this sounds crazy,
but I also admire its beauty. I cry a little—sometimes a lot. I blog about it
some, but not as often as I used to. But then, I put my grief back in that box.
I tie the beautiful bow around it, and I gently place it back on the shelf. <br />
<br />
Then I go on with life. Seven years ago, I never would have believed that I
could go on with life without my daughter. But here I am, functioning,
parenting again, serving, living. And my gift of grief remains… until the next
time I take it down off the shelf. My grief has changed my life, but it no
longer consumes my life. Because of this gift, I have found a Hope that I
otherwise would never have known… a true Unswerving Hope. </div>
</blockquote>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-89903531724990436422016-02-11T19:13:00.004-05:002016-02-12T06:30:41.396-05:00True Worship
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u4Ab8q2gEHQ/Vr3BBegCaKI/AAAAAAAAAus/Gw_6NjdAjXk/s640/blogger-image-1149725114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u4Ab8q2gEHQ/Vr3BBegCaKI/AAAAAAAAAus/Gw_6NjdAjXk/s640/blogger-image-1149725114.jpg"></a></div><br>
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The aroma of true worship… it fills the room.</div>
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<br></div>
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True worship has no regard for onlookers. It has no worries
about being misunderstood. It has no fear of judgment. It is unmistakable, but
not always understandable.</div>
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<br></div>
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True worship has no desire to promote the worshiper. Its
only desire is for the Object of worship… to promote Him, not self.</div>
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<br></div>
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True worship is not practical. It is not sensible. It is not
socially or politically correct. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
True worship comes only from broken vessels. Broken vessels
give freely… they cannot hold it in. The oil spills out… runs down… the
fragrance rises up.</div>
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<br></div>
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Unbroken vessels cannot give up their contents. The do not
give freely. They hold it in for safe keeping… keep it for self or for those
who can repay. </div>
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But true worship gives all. Pours all out… Holds nothing
back. No offering is too valuable or costly. Nothing could be put to better
use. </div>
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And it cannot be kept secret—its fragrance fills the room. </div>
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<br></div><div class="MsoNormal">John 12:1-11</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-79555398061456002172016-02-04T09:40:00.000-05:002016-02-04T09:40:48.784-05:00Wrestling with God<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lumoproject.com/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="www.LumoProject.com" border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pqABbzXp1zw/VrNftBMJqqI/AAAAAAAAAuY/799RZG5AoDs/s320/08_Mary_Angel_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"May it be to me as You have said." --Luke 1:38</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
...the words of Mary when the angel told her that she would become the mother of the Messiah.<br />
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I don't pretend to have the faith that Mary had. I never want to compare myself to her. She was instantly ready to face a life that she never imagined--one that she never had planned--one with lots of false accusations and questions. Yet she didn't even hesitate.<br />
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When my daughter was killed instantly in a car accident, I wrestled with how I could ever get through it and how God could possibly have allowed it.<br />
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Until one day, faith rose up in me and said those words of Mary in my spirit. I was finally able to accept it... that my most precious gift was dead... and the God had allowed it.<br />
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I am in no way tooting my own horn. There is nothing good or strong or faithful in me except what Jesus brings. It is a total gift from God to be able to say those words... to accept the things in life that I never would have chosen... the things that I never <i><u>ever</u></i> thought I could survive.<br />
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Have you faced something that you just cannot accept? Has life dealt you blows that are so far out of your realm of all that is right? Have you lived through--or are you facing--something that is just wrong? Death? Abuse? Abandonment? Addiction? Loss? Illness? Pain? Divorce? Loneliness? Fill in the blank...<br />
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If you don't have the faith to accept your circumstances, I invite you to wrestle with the Lord like Jacob did in Genesis 32. He came out of that fight a little broken, yet filled with faith to face his greatest fear.<br />
<br />
I came out of my struggle with the Lord, heart still broken, still grieving, yet filled with faith to face the rest of my life without my daughter--A life I never imagined I would face--but face it I have... all because of the gift of faith from God. And my faith is on a whole new level--deeper and stronger that it ever would have been had I not wrestled with the Lord.<br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-87065659607353521432016-01-28T15:45:00.000-05:002016-01-28T15:45:02.567-05:00Faith in God's Idea of Good or Mine?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UgvnvsLJZr8/Vqp9dZdNk2I/AAAAAAAAAt0/yrvgksoWqQo/s1600/Be%2BStill%2Band%2BKnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UgvnvsLJZr8/Vqp9dZdNk2I/AAAAAAAAAt0/yrvgksoWqQo/s320/Be%2BStill%2Band%2BKnow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Some people hold tenaciously to a faith that their child will not die, that their cancer will disappear, that their spouse will recover from a stroke. Do they have faith in God, or is their faith in what they desperately want God to do?"</i> --Randy Alcorn, Ninety Days of God's Goodness </blockquote>
I desperately want my loved one to be healed and freed from his addiction and self-loathing. I desperately want him to realize his worth to God. But that cannot be where my faith stays. I want to have a deeper faith--one that can believe God has a plan, whether it looks like what I envisioned or not. And I trust Him that it is good.<br />
<br />
The problem is, my idea of good and God's idea of good can be very different. I vote for God's because mine is very shallow and self-absorbed.<br />
<br />
So Lord, I trust you--with my children, my husband, and my own life. I trust you--with my country--our future and our next president. I trust you--with our church and our denomination. I will be still and know that You are God.<br />
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-78296600283254617932016-01-08T08:50:00.000-05:002016-01-08T08:56:55.257-05:00More than Enough<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Eq3dkbxOqCs/Vo_AJlpxK5I/AAAAAAAAAtg/qNmYLohwy8c/s640/blogger-image--1001102314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Eq3dkbxOqCs/Vo_AJlpxK5I/AAAAAAAAAtg/qNmYLohwy8c/s640/blogger-image--1001102314.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>Lord, You offer me so much--You offer me everything! The richest of fare! And I snub my nose and turn away.<br>
<br>
I turn away from endless abundance because I done believe it's good enough. It's not what I think I want. I'd rather gratify my flesh right now than look to You and be grateful for all You offer:<br>
All of heaven<br>
Your very presence<br>
Water for my parched soul<br>
Fullness of joy<br>
Pleasures forever<br>
Complete satisfaction<br>
Peace that passes all understanding<br>
The riches of Your love<br>
<br>
You show up in a pillar of cloud and of fire. You provide manna from heaven. And I snub my nose and turn away.<br>
<br>
I run instead to things that will never satisfy. No matter how much I eat, I'll always want more. No matter how much weight I gain, I will never have enough. At my complaint, you send me meat--'til it's coming out my ears, you grant my requests. But I am still not satisfied. I continue to complain... Snub my nose and turn away.<br>
<br>
I don't want to live this way. I want the riches of your love to always be enough. I want to find complete peace and satisfaction in You. You are enough, Lord... More than enough.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-7617212589297569932015-11-03T08:50:00.000-05:002015-11-03T09:20:41.106-05:00Really, Prayer Changes Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9Hm12OSQJ8U/VjjCt43teiI/AAAAAAAAAtM/fl1PPgXyMkA/s640/blogger-image-1214000941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9Hm12OSQJ8U/VjjCt43teiI/AAAAAAAAAtM/fl1PPgXyMkA/s640/blogger-image-1214000941.jpg"></a></div>I drove by a church sign this morning that said, "Prayer changes things." My immediate, cynical response was, "Really?" Then I heard, "Yes, it changes you." So true.<br>
<br>
Now, as I write this in my journal, I realize how ungrateful my cynical side is--how blasphemous--how sinful. Lord, please forgive me.<br>
<br>
The Lord has been so gracious to me. No, things have not turned out exactly like I had planned, but I am so blessed--not just materially, though I am incredibly blessed materially--not just relationally, though I am amazingly blessed with family and friends--not just physically, though I am very healthy--not just in my marriage, though I have a wonderful marriage to a strong, loving, kind man, in whom I've seen amazing transformation in the 35 years we've been married. I am amazingly blessed, and yet I am so ungrateful that my first response was, "really, prayer changes things?'<br>
<br>
I am blessed beyond belief because Jesus loves me! Enough to give His life for me--and He was thankful for that privilege. If that was the only blessing I ever received, it would be more than enough!<br>
<br>
So we have any clue how huge this is?! Do we have any idea whatsoever about what Christ has done for us?<br>
<br>
We are blessed beyond belief, yet we continue walking around feeling discouraged, dejected, disheartened and depressed. How dare we! How dare I act like Jesus has not blessed me or heart my prayers! How dare I forget that He has wept with me when I wept--ached with me when I ached! How dare I forget that He has walked with me--carried me through some of the darkest, scariest days of my life?! How dare I throw that back in His face and say, "Really? Prayer changes things?"<br>
<br>
Yes, really, prayer changes things. It changes me. It changes you.<br>
<br>
Today I choose to be grateful. I choose to practice gratitude. I choose to fight agains the cynical ingrate in me who questions God's faithfulness to me. It is a choice and I'm making it mine today.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-66718732442454161392015-10-12T13:02:00.001-04:002015-10-12T13:24:32.749-04:00My Love of LightWow, my theme for the past week or so has been light. I've thought about it almost every day. I've noticed different sources of light, and pondered on why I love it so much.<br />
<br />
In addition to my own obsession with light this week, other sources of light have come my way, including this song: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=103&v=5eN8j2OQ9y4" target="_blank">A Light That Shines</a><br />
<br />
Growing up in the country where there are no street lights, I remember what darkness looks like. I remember how frightened I was of it.<br />
<br />
When I was little, we'd get home from Grandma's after dark. I would pretend I was asleep so my parents would carry me into the house from our detached garage. Once I got too big for them to carry me, I remember running as fast as I could, heart pounding, to get from the car to the house. I hated the dark.<br />
<br />
One night, I woke up in the middle of the night, and the hallway nightlight had burned out. I was sure I had gone blind. I opened my eyes as wide as I could, but I could see nothing but pure blackness. I remember making my way to the door way of my bedroom, whimpering until my mom finally heard, turned on a light, and let me know that I wasn't blind. (I still have night lights all over my house.)<br />
<br />
As I've read this week about God creating light, shining His light in our hearts so that we could see His glory in the face of Christ, I've thought about light. I replaced the burned out string of lights on my grapevine tree on my front porch. I love seeing those little lights through the cut glass of the side lights of our front door. I love that my husband leaves the light on for me when I need to come home after dark. There's something about it that lets me know there's someone in there who cares about me--who's waiting for me to get home--who'll be happy to see me.<br />
<br />
I think that's what it will be like when we get to heaven. Once we pass through the pain of death, we'll be welcomed by the light of heaven. Someone is waiting for us--anxious for our arrival! But there won't be any need for porch lights, night lights, or even the sun or moon!<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HpAmhOjxIG0/VhvncXu-iPI/AAAAAAAAAs4/gh1VwfgvlKg/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HpAmhOjxIG0/VhvncXu-iPI/AAAAAAAAAs4/gh1VwfgvlKg/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And there will be no night there--no need for lamps or sun--for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. --Revelation 22:5</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. --Revelation 21:23 </blockquote>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-75824030924335543422015-10-12T12:30:00.000-04:002015-10-12T12:30:14.877-04:00Pressing On Toward the Light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ArffsW2-pIM/VhWo1DWg13I/AAAAAAAAArY/CdNwEQBrTnw/s1600/IMG_6141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ArffsW2-pIM/VhWo1DWg13I/AAAAAAAAArY/CdNwEQBrTnw/s320/IMG_6141.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The other day, I went for a walk down the Trillium Valley Trail. It was beautiful. It followed a little creek, and sometimes I could hear the water trickle. I was enjoying my walk, but as I went deeper into the valley, it got darker. It was early in the day, so the sun was not yet high in the sky. I started to feel a little claustrophobic. I began to focus more on the dead trees leaning this way and that across the creek. Some of the hillsides and tree trunks were looking a little creepy. I needed air. It felt like the valley walls were closing in on me.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcEQhzPKjy4/VhWrRzwQEdI/AAAAAAAAAsg/XbRMee-3RvM/s1600/IMG_6151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcEQhzPKjy4/VhWrRzwQEdI/AAAAAAAAAsg/XbRMee-3RvM/s320/IMG_6151.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PziX6MBq1fI/VhWqVVTJRII/AAAAAAAAAsA/ywPeJiGMbMQ/s1600/IMG_6136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PziX6MBq1fI/VhWqVVTJRII/AAAAAAAAAsA/ywPeJiGMbMQ/s320/IMG_6136.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NaGE9-HU37Y/VhWpohKwldI/AAAAAAAAArw/9P9G3HG9drI/s1600/IMG_6133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NaGE9-HU37Y/VhWpohKwldI/AAAAAAAAArw/9P9G3HG9drI/s320/IMG_6133.JPG" width="240" /> </a><br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Just about the time I was trying to decide whether to turn back or keep going, I came to a trail marker. I could go straight, which would lead me into Buckeye Valley--a nice flat, easy path--or turn left to go up hill to Wren Run.<br />
<br />
Sometimes we choose the easy path, even though it's not exactly what we want. We continue in "more of the same" because it's what we're familiar with--we know what to expect. Even though we want something better, we continue to choose the path of least resistance. We stay stuck in darkness instead of putting out the energy it takes to make a change.<br />
<br />
I looked to my left. The trail leading up to Wren Run was steep, and I new it would take more effort to go that way than to continue on to Buckeye Valley, but my desire to get higher, more out in the open sunlight, was enough to push me up that path to Wren Run. </div>
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cv3qNnYwCwk/VhWqes989FI/AAAAAAAAAsI/F93WM3GuYvs/s1600/IMG_6138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cv3qNnYwCwk/VhWqes989FI/AAAAAAAAAsI/F93WM3GuYvs/s320/IMG_6138.JPG" width="320" /> </a> Up and up I climbed, breathing heavily, (yes, I'm more than a little out of shape!) but so thankful for more light. Everything started looking more yellow and bright. The added brightness was enough to spur me on. I even met a little toad on the way up. He startled me at first, but then he hesitated so I could take his picture. I finally made it to the top and caught my breath. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f4ZnqG6bgho/VhWo68Q9OwI/AAAAAAAAArk/-CzeuKpjmdM/s1600/IMG_6139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f4ZnqG6bgho/VhWo68Q9OwI/AAAAAAAAArk/-CzeuKpjmdM/s320/IMG_6139.JPG" width="320" /></a>Light and fresh air have always been really important to me. Maybe it's because I grew up in the country with lots of wide open space. Our farm house was huge and was surrounded by corn fields and pastures. Yes, I need my space and lots of light, but I've had my share of dark valleys too. </div>
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<img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6iEy4IxqPpI/VhWrFC0eouI/AAAAAAAAAsY/NyxQzCsLAl0/s320/IMG_6142.JPG" width="320" /> Grieving the loss of a child was one of them. Continuing to pray and
believe for one so dear, who is trapped in a darkness of his own, is another. But God is faithful, and my intense need for light pushes
me forward and upward. I can't stay in the darkness for long. I'm so
thankful for the light of Christ that gives me hope... that keeps me
plodding along. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf8Y01U9u58/VhWp4xtGxRI/AAAAAAAAAr4/Z_-Vhk8Duv4/s1600/IMG_6115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf8Y01U9u58/VhWp4xtGxRI/AAAAAAAAAr4/Z_-Vhk8Duv4/s320/IMG_6115.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Can you see my shadow in this picture? It's right in the middle. I'm standing on a bridge over the Trillium Valley with the sun at my back. Valleys are a necessary part of our existence, but we can't stay there forever. We've got to make the decision to hike up the steep trail, even though it takes more effort and maybe even a little pain. But it's worth it to be out in the light, up on that bridge! Keep pressing on, my friend, keep pressing on!<br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-78921206130746779292015-10-07T19:18:00.000-04:002015-10-07T19:18:21.610-04:00Let There Be Light in the Darkness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tap_fPtRpxc/VhWoFgZFa-I/AAAAAAAAArQ/S5_z9fREz2c/s1600/IMG_5303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tap_fPtRpxc/VhWoFgZFa-I/AAAAAAAAArQ/S5_z9fREz2c/s320/IMG_5303.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Lord, you spoke the world into existence. By the very words of your mouth, all nature came into existence. If just one thing was left out or miscalculated, it would not have worked. If the earth's axis was tilted just a hair too far or not far enough... If the moon was just a little too big or too small... If the orbit of one of the planets was off just a little, it would have all come crashing down.<br />
<br />
But you hung each planet, each star, each satellite in the perfect place. You set it all in motion, timed the orbits perfectly, and here we are. How? Why?<br />
<br />
Because you wanted to. We may never know how, and that's okay. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you did, and here we are.<br />
<br />
So, if you can do all that just by your word, you can speak life into a man's heart.<br />
<br />
You hovered over that formless, empty darkness of the not-yet-created. And you hover over that dark, empty heart:<br />
A heart that yearns for you, but doesn't know it.<br />
A heart desperate for light and life.<br />
A heart that is searching--that has just about given up the search.<br />
A heart that thinks things will never change--that this is all there is.<br />
A heart that used to feel so deeply, but now is numbed by drugs and alcohol--hopeless & void<br />
<br />
God, you took a formless, empty darkness and created a magnificent universe. You can take a dark and empty heart--one that is void of any hope--You can shine your light, your life in that heart! And darkness will not overcome it. --John 1:5<br />
<br />
Hallelujah, praise the Lord... for you commanded, and the heavens were created. You set them in position for ever and ever; You gave an order that will never pass away. --Psalm 148:1-6<br />
<br />
You said, "Let there be light in the darkness." And there was... now let your light shine in that heart so that he can know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Christ. --2 Corinthians 4:6-7Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-30815556442375575852015-09-30T10:26:00.000-04:002015-09-30T10:26:00.412-04:00A World to be Lived In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pn-lNgUYyBc/VgvrtmMBuyI/AAAAAAAAAq8/jWIZc6kXoCA/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-09-30%2Bat%2B10.00.16%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pn-lNgUYyBc/VgvrtmMBuyI/AAAAAAAAAq8/jWIZc6kXoCA/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-09-30%2Bat%2B10.00.16%2BAM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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There seems to be so much chaos in this world... so much meaningless violence, suffering, abuse, even death. People are killing cops. Copes are killing people. Christians are being brutalized, even beheaded. People are being chased from their homes simply because of their ethnic heritage. Children from loving families are going astray, becoming entangled in drugs, alcohol and human trafficking. Many are even committing suicide. Parents are aborting babies, organizations are harvesting and selling body parts. People are shooting up movie theaters and college campuses. There's more, but I can't go on.<br />
<br />
But the Word of God give me hope. According to the prophet Isaiah, "He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos" Isiah 45:18 (NLT)<br />
<br />
God created the world to be a place of <i><b>life</b></i>, not chaos.<br />
<br />
He is the Lord and there is no other. He publicly proclaims <b><i>bold</i></b> promises. He would not have told us to seek Him if He could not be found.<br />
<br />
Lord, gather your people who pray only to You... who seek You... who cry out to You...<br />
Gather the cops<br />
The thugs<br />
The Christians<br />
Gather those whose ethnicity makes them targets<br />
Gather the parents<br />
and the children<br />
Speak tenderly to the babies<br />
<br />
Lord, we seek You, we stand on your bold promises, we trust you to bring life in the midst of chaos. And You have.<br />
<br />
We've seen videos of cops going above and beyond when helping stranded motorists, speaking tenderly to children in the midst of tragedy. We see traffic violators honoring cops, owning their mistakes and taking their tickets with respect.<br />
<br />
We see Samaritan's Purse and other organizations reaching out to those suffering from ethnic cleansing and religious persecution.<br />
<br />
We see young Americans taking down a gunman on a train in France, and humbly receiving awards for just doing the right thing.<br />
<br />
We see Mercy Ministries, WAR, Int'l, and Grace Haven rescuing girls and women from the dispicable practice of sex trafficking.<br />
<br />
We see Hope over Heroin, Dream Centers and others offering hope and rehabilitation to homeless drug addicts.<br />
<br />
We see soup kitchens, pregnancy centers, foster and adoptive parents stepping up and serving those who desperately what they have to offer.<br />
<br />
There is life on planet earth<br />
There is hope on planet earth<br />
There is a God who created this earth with His power and preserves the world with His wisdom.<br />
And that same God will come again and bring us into eternal hope created by His understanding. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>We'll see it all then, see it as clearly as God sees us, knowing Him directly just as He knows us. But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do that lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. --1 Corinthians 13:12-13 (MSG)</i></blockquote>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-77494775970778534732015-09-28T10:08:00.001-04:002015-09-28T10:08:31.145-04:00Let There Be Light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SkxkYr0OQWg/VglGNkmwlaI/AAAAAAAAAqg/QN6rB9a2XaA/s1600/12027122_10208047400205963_2312446413886270135_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SkxkYr0OQWg/VglGNkmwlaI/AAAAAAAAAqg/QN6rB9a2XaA/s320/12027122_10208047400205963_2312446413886270135_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Last night was the lunar eclipse. It was a beautiful night to sit outside and watch the amazing display. This morning I read the following scriptures: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1%3A1-2&version=NLT" target="_blank">Genesis 1:1-2</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A1-5&version=NLT" target="_blank">John 1:1-5</a>, and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+148%3A1-6&version=NLT" target="_blank">Psalm 148:1-6</a>. So my mind is swirling around the greatness of our Creator God and His power.<br />
<br />
Lord, you spoke the world into being. By the very words from your mouth, all nature came into existence. If just one thing was left out or miscalculated, it would not have worked.<br />
<br />
If the earth's axis was tilted just a hair too far or not far enough...<br />
If the moon was just a little too big or too small...<br />
If the orbit of one of the planets was off just a tad...<br />
It would have all come crashing down.<br />
<br />
But you hung each planet, each star, each satellite in the perfect place. You set it all in motion, timed the orbits perfectly, and here we are. How? Why?<br />
<br />
Because you wanted to. We may never know how, and that's okay. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you did, and here we are.<br />
<br />
So, if you can do all that just by your word, you can speak life into a man's heart.<br />
<br />
You hovered over that formless, empty, darkness of the not-yet-created. And you hover over that dark, empty heart.<br />
<br />
A heart that yearns for you, but doesn't know it...<br />
A heart desperate for light and life, which is in you...<br />
A heart that is searching...<br />
But has just about given up the search...<br />
That thinks things will never change...<br />
That thinks this is all there is...<br />
A heart that used to feel so deeply...<br />
But now is numbed by drugs and alcohol...<br />
Hopeless and void.<br />
<br />
God, you took a formless, empty darkness and created a magnificent universe! You can take a dark and empty heart--one that is void of any hope--You can shine your light, your life in that heart! And darkness will NOT overcome it.<br />
<br />
Hallelujah, Praise the Lord. For you commanded, and the heavens were created. You set them in position for ever and ever; You gave an order that will never pass away.<br />
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You said, let there be light in the darkness and there was. Now let your light shine in that heart so that he can now the glory of God in the face of Christ. <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+4%3A6&version=NLT" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 4:6</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-64212162126392413112015-09-25T18:13:00.000-04:002015-09-25T18:13:13.884-04:00Made Holy by Truth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RFntiGrmyFA/VgXDzC0VlsI/AAAAAAAAAqM/-uyJnKELHi4/s1600/15023979269_65d33b9a64_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RFntiGrmyFA/VgXDzC0VlsI/AAAAAAAAAqM/-uyJnKELHi4/s320/15023979269_65d33b9a64_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span class="text John-17-15" id="en-NLT-26740"><sup class="versenum">15 </sup><span class="woj">I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.</span></span> <span class="text John-17-16" id="en-NLT-26741"><sup class="versenum">16 </sup><span class="woj">They do not belong to this world any more than I do.</span></span> <span class="text John-17-17" id="en-NLT-26742"><sup class="versenum">17 </sup><span class="woj">Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.</span></span> <span class="text John-17-18" id="en-NLT-26743"><sup class="versenum">18 </sup><span class="woj">Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.</span></span> <span class="text John-17-19" id="en-NLT-26744"><sup class="versenum">19 </sup><span class="woj">And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. John 17:15-19 (NLT)</span></span></i></blockquote>
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Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice. He sacrificed himself so that we could be holy, set apart by the Word.<br />
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God doesn't remove us from the world. He doesn't negate the consequences of a fallen world in our lives. We deal with the same things that non-Christians deal with--sickness, death, financial loss, suffering, evil--while God doesn't completely shield us from those things, He walks with us through them. He empowers us to triumph in them... to thrive when we should not even be surviving by the world's standards... to have joy in the midst of our sorrow... to have hope when all looks hopeless.<br />
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We are truly <b><i>in</i></b> this world. We are <b><i>all in</i></b>. He has not removed us from suffering and pain because that's part of living in this world. But even as we must actively participate in what the world gives, it is not all in vain. We are immersed in all that this world has to offer. And yet we are not consumed by it. We are not set apart <i><b>from</b></i> the world. We are set apart <i><b>in</b></i> the world. We are right there with our fellow-sufferers... Christians and non-Christians alike.<br />
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And yet, unlike non-Christians, we have hope. We have something burning deep down inside that sets us apart--makes us special, different, holy. Because we know the truth. That's why we need a daily dose of the Word. We need to read it, study it, hear it, apply it. The Word is what sets us apart. The Word is what makes us different even as we face the same forces that unbelievers face.<br />
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How can we not share that?! How can we walk along beside someone who suffers as we have suffered, who faces the same difficulties that we have faced... and not offer the hope that has carried us through.<br />
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It's the Word... the truth that sets us apart--makes us different even when our circumstances are much the same. We can't neglect the Word--the Truth. <i><b>I</b></i> can't neglect it. It's what sets me apart, makes me holy, allows me to respond differently. Only the Word.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-57994296538411325132015-09-25T08:57:00.002-04:002015-09-25T09:02:15.082-04:00Privileged to Serve<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’" target="_blank"><span id="goog_1366810326"></span><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gesBQT22TvM/VgVAdUn_jLI/AAAAAAAAAp4/cfLIIfJlMqk/s320/o-SOUP-KITCHEN-MEALS-TOO-FATTENING-facebook.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1170661/images/o-SOUP-KITCHEN-MEALS-TOO-FATTENING-facebook.jpg" target="_blank"><span id="goog_1366810327"></span></a></div>
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<br />
I served in our local soup kitchen yesterday. It was my third time. It's all pretty practical mundane stuff. You put food on plates, greet people, then clean up.<br />
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That's what I thought the first time I served... kinda boring... not the flashy, creative kind of thing I normally like doing.<br />
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But the last two times I served, I was deeply moved. These people we serve... in a "previous life," I would have either severely judged or pitied them. But I would not have desired a relationship with them. (This is a confession, don't judge me. God has forgiven me.) Now though, they touch my soul, and I truly want to know them. (I thank my precious loved one for this gift.)<br />
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As I wipe down tables and chairs after they've gone, I pray. I worship. And it sometimes takes my breath away. Little sobs try to make their way from my heart to my lips.<br />
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I am unworthy. I am unworthy to serve these precious ones.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><sup class="versenum"> </sup><span class="woj">“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:40</span></i></blockquote>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-80300058961274714152015-09-23T09:49:00.000-04:002015-09-23T09:55:05.626-04:00The Hour Has Come<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s4RANMUTxnA/VgKvOCGgExI/AAAAAAAAApk/1Gdu8FbgAyI/s640/blogger-image--367391042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s4RANMUTxnA/VgKvOCGgExI/AAAAAAAAApk/1Gdu8FbgAyI/s640/blogger-image--367391042.jpg"></a></div><br></div>For weeks now, since John 2:4 I've been reading about how Jesus' time had not yet come. His time had not yet come in John 7:6, 7:8, 7:30 or 8:20.<br>
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But, in John 12:23, he said, "Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory." And again in John 17:1, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your son so he can give glory back to you."<br>
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The hour has come... the moment Jesus has been preparing for since John 2. It has now come. It is here. But it looks very different than I would expect. And it looked very different than the disciples, ever his mother Mary, expected.<br>
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He was not glorified in changing water to wine.<br>
He was not glorified by his amazing wisdom and supernatural teaching.<br>
He was not glorified by walking on water or calming storms.<br>
He was not glorified by casting out demons or raising the dead.<br>
He was not glorified by healing the sick, blind, deaf or lame.<br>
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He was glorified in humility--riding on the back of a donkey.<br>
He as glorified in his submission to his Father's will.<br>
He was glorified in suffering and humiliation.<br>
He was glorified in death.<br>
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This is not how I picture glorification! I picture glorification in miracles. I picture glorification in healings. I picture glorification in the RESURRECTION...<br>
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But how can you have resurrection without first experiencing DEATH? And not just physical death, but also spiritual death. What a savior we have who submitted to this glorification process that looks so opposite from what we would think. He did it for us.<br>
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<br>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-78719425800075074152015-09-14T09:47:00.001-04:002015-09-14T09:47:30.460-04:00The Only Work God Wants from You<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eDCYE13icAc/VfbP8DxsxuI/AAAAAAAAApM/nt76s3eEqXY/s640/blogger-image-1654980497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eDCYE13icAc/VfbP8DxsxuI/AAAAAAAAApM/nt76s3eEqXY/s640/blogger-image-1654980497.jpg"></a></div><i>But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”</i></span><div><i>John 6:27-29 NLT</i></div><div><i>http://bible.us/116/jhn.6.27-29.nlt</i></div><div><br></div><div>I want so much to serve the Lord. I want so much to have an impact. </div><div><br></div><div>When Jesus fed the 5,000, they were so impressed, they wanted to be able to do those kinds of miracles too. But why? What was their motivation? What is my motivation?</div><div><br></div><div>When I see my friends making an impact on the lives around them, I have to admit, I'm jealous. I'm not making the kinds of impacts that they are.</div><div><br></div><div>But Jesus says the same thing to me that he said to his followers, "This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the One he has sent."</div><div><br></div><div>This hints at the fact that, at least part of the time, it's hard work to believe in Jesus. It's hard work to "be still and know that I am God." But if we put in the effort to keep believing...</div><div><br></div><div>Despite our feelings</div><div>Despite our negative self-talk</div><div>Despite what others think</div><div>Despite how our lives compare to others (we're not supposed to compare anyway because it happens one of two ways... Either we compare our worst with their best and feel like failures, or, when we feel the need to be justified, we compare our best with their worst. It's never a balanced comparison, so just quit it, Cindy!)</div><div><br></div><div>Quit the comparisons...</div><div>Quit listening to the naysayers and the flatterers...</div><div>Quit the negative self talk...</div><div>Quit being ruled by emotions...</div><div><br></div><div>...and just work at believing in the One he has sent!</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-55660815927464652982015-09-10T10:21:00.000-04:002015-09-10T10:33:43.473-04:00Letting Go of Regrets<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xoCCoGnnPkM/VfGUxW-akEI/AAAAAAAAAow/r54qQGsETM0/s640/blogger-image--832948589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xoCCoGnnPkM/VfGUxW-akEI/AAAAAAAAAow/r54qQGsETM0/s640/blogger-image--832948589.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div>Two days ago, I wrote in my journal about some regrets I have... Most of the time I can put them on the back burner and continue to enjoy life, entrusting those regrets to the Lord. But <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">lately I feel them weighing me down.</span> I've been having dreams at night that make those regrets feel even more acute.<br>
<div>
<br></div>
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Then today, I read a devotional that I get a couple of times a week called "<a href="http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=278b78041b94c30f445911b53&id=374ebfcb65&e=de240b28d0" target="_blank">The Loop</a>." It often strikes a nerve, and it certainly did today:</div>
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<i><br></i></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-2c12d64c-fb51-c1b1-cb5f-9176abfca7d8"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); vertical-align: baseline;"><i>You want to know what it looks like to pray to Me? To be with Me? To listen to Me? You are full of questions . . .when you pause. . . when you ponder your heart. Questions about Me, about how to live this day, about how to have more joy and freedom . . .</i></span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-2c12d64c-fb51-c1b1-cb5f-9176abfca7d8"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Don’t feel guilty about the hard days, the long days, the stumbles, even the falls. You could look back on them, analyzing them, thinking about how you could have done things differently and how tomorrow, no matter what (oh, you are resolute!) you will not repeat what you did before. . . Except, you fear you will. </i></span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-2c12d64c-fb51-c1b1-cb5f-9176abfca7d8"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); vertical-align: baseline;"><i>You fear time passing so quickly—so quickly—and not being able to hold on tightly enough to time. A moment isn’t holy in-and-of itself. It is Me, inhabiting the moment, which makes time holy. So how could you mess it up? How could you make a moment less holy? </i></span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-2c12d64c-fb51-c1b1-cb5f-9176abfca7d8" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t regret, child. </i></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-2c12d64c-fb51-c1b1-cb5f-9176abfca7d8" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">The only purpose in </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">looking back</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> on time—in endeavoring to appreciate it—is </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">looking forward</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">, looking to where I was, in the moment, then. Look back, if you must, but only so you may see Me in the moment.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><br></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Wow, did I need to hear that! I need to know that He was there... in those moments I regret. I need to know that He can make those moments holy. I need to know that He can redeem them.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">I need your touch, Lord. I so need your presence in my life. I need to hear from you. I need your direction, your joy, your peace. I find my strength in you.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Give me grace in place of judgment</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Give me love in place of comparison</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Give me generosity in place of envy</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Give me joy in my position--my God-given position</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Let me be who you want me to be</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Let me do what you want me to do</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Let me love whom you want me to love</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Give me what you want me to give--not just materially, but gifts of empowerment, support, encouragement, beauty, creativity</span></div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-25294546298050473912015-08-25T17:13:00.001-04:002015-08-25T17:13:48.014-04:00Show, Don't Tell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WLdENm1329g/VdzWQ2UM6lI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/W5Ft-ZPZlMc/s1600/08_LUMO_Man_Leprosy_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WLdENm1329g/VdzWQ2UM6lI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/W5Ft-ZPZlMc/s320/08_LUMO_Man_Leprosy_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+1%3A29-45&version=NLT" target="_blank">Mark 1:34, 44, 3:12</a><br />
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<i><span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj">"Don’t
tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine
you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who
have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.” Mark 1:44</span></span></i><br />
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj">I have always wondered why Jesus didn't want those who were healed to tell anyone--and why was it bad when evil spirits knew who he was and tried shouting it out? It was true, so why not let them spill the beans?!</span></span><br />
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj">If it were me (and we can all be thankful that it's not!!!) I'd be letting everyone and anyone tell people who I was and what I'd done for them. I don't like this about myself and I'm constantly asking God to help me. But seriously, why wouldn't Jesus want people to know who he was and what he was doing for those who had been suffering for so long? I think I may be beginning to understand it...</span></span><br />
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj">My husband is a great storyteller. He is very patient, slow and methodical. All the things I am not! But I believe those things make him a great story teller. We've been married for over 35 years, and he still gets me sometimes when he tells jokes, because he doesn't crack a smile, doesn't let on that it's not true. He patiently weaves his stories with twists and turns and keeps me hanging on every word. Finally, he drops the punchline on me and I end up ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing, for you non-texters). I, on the other hand, can't wait to get to the punchline! I can't tell jokes, because I often get them backwards and give the punchline first! I can't play practical jokes because I just can't hold it in. It's hard to look "innocent" when you're jumping up and down, bubbling over with excitement at the thought of what's about to happen!</span></span><br />
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj">Jesus was also a good storyteller. He was patient. He was never in a hurry to boast about himself and who he was. He was also methodical. He had a plan about how he would reveal himself and to whom. Timing is everything. Communicating the right thing at the wrong time or in the wrong way can ruin the message.</span></span><br />
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj">I did that just the other day. I was in a meeting, and I was so excited to share something God laid on my heart that I blurted it all out at once. Most of the members of the team looked at me like deer in headlights! It was too much too fast. They didn't get it. Not a good way to share a vision and get people on board with it.</span></span><br />
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj">Jesus understood that. Maybe I will get it someday too... only by the grace of God.</span></span><br />
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Mark-1-44" id="en-NLT-24233"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-4245352897190655922015-08-20T07:25:00.002-04:002015-08-20T07:25:34.916-04:00The Law, The Lord, and Grace<div>
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</div>
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6%3A1-4&version=NLT" target="_blank">Ephesians 6:1-4</a><br />
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Any righteousness that is in me comes from my relationship with the Lord... all the way down to how I treat my parents and children... how I act when I'm with family.<br />
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That's scary because it is often with the people I love most that I my behavior is at its worst! What does that say about my relationship with the Lord?<br />
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Isn't there something spiritual that happens when we get saved that changes us? The Word says we are a new creation... old things have gone, new things have come! I want more of the new and less of the old, but it sure seems that operate in the old an awful lot.<br />
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So, if a child has not truly accepted the Lord, can he be expected to honor his parents? And once a child has committed her life to the Lord, does it make her more capable of honoring them?<br />
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And will parents who have given their lives to the Lord automatically become better parents? Are these just more rules to follow in Ephesians 6? Because I seem to have a hard time following all the rules!<br />
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Maybe they're not so much rules to follow, but guidelines to show us wrong from right. Because if we're not believers, followers of the Lord, we might not know how important it is to honor our parents or discipline our children. It is a commandment, yes, but that's what the law is for--to show us right and wrong. So the law tells us what to do, but the Spirit enables us to do it, right? We need both. We can't obey the law without the Spirit.<br />
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But wait, some people are good who aren't necessarily Christians. Maybe that's because right and wrong have been obvious in a Christian nation. But the lines between right and wrong are becoming more blurred. So we need the law. We can't depend on the idea that accepted practices and behaviors will guide us in the right direction.<br />
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Yes, we need the law, and we need the Spirit--the regeneration that happens when we commit ourselves to God. Yet even with the Spirit, we still fail! Why?<br />
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Maybe it's because we need even more than the Law and the Spirit. We need <b>grace</b>! Maybe our constant failure has a purpose--to show us how desperate we are for grace. Even though the law lets us know what's right and wrong, and the Spirit gives us to power to do what's right, we still fail. And we fall on our faces before God as He pours His grace on us again and again. And we get back up and try again... and maybe we do a little better this time.<br />
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Maybe this is the process of sanctification. We are becoming holy, more like God through this process. But it IS a process. I want it to happen all at once--at the point of salvation--but that's not how it works. At the point of salvation, we receive the Law, the Spirit, and Grace. And those three things work in us, as much as we'll let them, to sanctify us, purify us, and make us Holy as the Lord is Holy.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">So I continue walking this process... learning the law, seeing how I've failed, being empowered by the Spirit to succeed, failing again, allowing grace to wash over me, then trying again. And each time, I'm just a little purer... a little shinier... a tiny bit more reflective... until one day, the Almighty Refiner will look at me and see His own reflection... Oh, what a glorious day that will be!</span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-9985505252208752982015-08-20T07:25:00.000-04:002015-08-20T07:25:01.374-04:00People of This Kind<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jwj0fObOnqM/VdW2DD9WhNI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/vlV6vlHKLd4/s1600/file28129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jwj0fObOnqM/VdW2DD9WhNI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/vlV6vlHKLd4/s320/file28129.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking the neighborhood surrounding the Dream Center in Los Angeles, facing my lack of compassion and love for the "people of this kind."</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+2%3A15-17&version=NLT" target="_blank">Mark 2:15-17</a><br />
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Jesus went to Levi's house and ate with many other tax collectors and other "disreputable sinners." What follows those words in parentheses in the NLT is what got my attention, "(There were many people of this kind among Jesus' followers.)"<br />
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I have spent my entire life trying so hard not to be a disreputable sinner. I have relished the fact that I "am a staff member of a church," (said very piously.) I have judged others who didn't behave as I thought a good Christian should. I took pride in my religious status. I have felt "above" others like those mentioned in this scripture. Oh, the stench of my self righteousness!<br />
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I think Jesus has a special place in his heart for disreputable sinners. I need to allow Him to give me the same heart. God has used loved ones in my life to help me see this utter stench of my self-righteous attitude. But I'm still not sure how someone like me can reach them. I'm not sure of my next step in this.<br />
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So I press in to Jesus--I press in to this special place in his heart for "disreputable sinners," and ask Him to make my heart more like his.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569771065929095761.post-63159647525277841752015-08-17T07:59:00.000-04:002015-08-20T07:29:08.417-04:00My Little Girl Got Baptised Yesterday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y--3buWDQPo/VdW53qMRSaI/AAAAAAAAAng/RUTysAR3Ms4/s1600/IMG_5186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y--3buWDQPo/VdW53qMRSaI/AAAAAAAAAng/RUTysAR3Ms4/s320/IMG_5186.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My little girl got baptized yesterday. I am praying that her decision to do that will be one that will influence her life for the rest of her days on earth and into eternity.<br />
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I'm so grateful for those who have influenced her little life for Jesus--family, friends, church servants, camp counselors.<br />
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Oh, how I prayed for her when I realized she was coming. I was so afraid for her. I never intended on being her mom--I was excited to be her grandma!<br />
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Then if became evident that we or someone else would need to raise her. I fearfully held her in my open hands to the Lord. I knew it would mean a completely different life for us than we had planned, but I couldn't bear the thought of not having her with us.<br />
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Oh, how I need your <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+5%3A6-14&version=NLT" target="_blank">light</a>, Lord. I want to live a people of the light. I denounce the anger and rage, the passive aggressive way I often react. Please forgive me, Lord.<br />
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Raise this little girl up into the person you dreamed of when you created her. Work in her life and in her heart. Fill the holes there where people are missing. Heal her little abandoned heart. Amen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0