He Gets It

Any trials, pain, challenges, or suffering we go through in life; we don’t have to endure it all alone. If we lean to our Savior, our Jesus, we can always know that we have someone with us who will bring us through it all – someone who truly understands.

Jesus gets it.

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15

He gets all of us………

Ever Get Stressed?

Or Sometimes Depressed?

Are you feeling alone?

Looking for a home?

Hoping to Lose?

Just need to snooze?

How you might pay?

Can’t face the day?

Not sure what to do?

Just feeling confused?

Think you might lose it?

Tempted to snooze it?

Just needing some love?

Hans via Pixabay

Some help from above?

News of the day?

Nothing left to say….

Reeling in pain?

Stuck in the Rain?

Ran out of time?

Just want to whine?

He gets it all.

via Binlam

He bore it all.

AngelaFletcher via Binlam

Receive of His love –

Kommentare via Binlam

Look to Him, up above –

Yes, Jesus Gets It.

But He also gets us through it.

“You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me  again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will  increase my greatness and comfort me again.” Psalms 71:20-21

**Images used with Permission from Microsoft Office, Pixabay and Binlam – no attribution required or desired unless otherwise marked.

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It’s in the micromoments of life where we see God show up in big ways.

Author: Bagande (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Blink of the Day ~ More!

In my little family, when someone says “I love you”, often the other person says back to them,  “I love you more.” I fail to see how anyone could love anybody else more than I love each of them, with the exception of their Father in heaven.

I am so very thankful for each one of these wonderful blessings – these dear souls that God has shared with me. I am so very grateful for all the love that He has given me in my heart for each of these wonderful four.  And I am deeply moved by the love for me that He has poured into each one of their hearts. I bask in it.

Love Ways (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today, I am thinking about how the little things – the thoughtful giving, small acts of service, a word, a hug, a touch or a joke – they all add up to the greater gifts of bonding and joy that having an earthly family can bring to one’s life. And over the last couple of weeks, each one of these four blessed ones have done specific little things for me to show their love for me, and I just thought I would share a few of them with you.

Daughter Love –

This girl loves her Lord and Savior so deep. His light shines in her eyes and just bursts out all around her. One day about a week or so ago, I woke up to find a very thoughtful array of little gifts from my girl. She’d arranged them so nicely for me and set them where I would see them right when I came out to the kitchen. I loved this sweet surprise!

She had remembered how badly I needed a new wallet and how picky I am about how the pockets are inside, and that it needs to be a neutral color with just a little bit of sparkle thrown in there to keep it interesting. I love my wallet!

She also picked out the sweetest card and wrote me the most loving and kind note – all by hand, which I LOVE!

I will treasure this memory and these photos that capture it forever. But as much as I love these caring little gifts…………………….

I love her MORE.

Son Love –

This young man loves God with all his heart. He is gifted with proclaiming the gospel in ways that are going to reach many, many souls throughout his lifetime! God is working in him in mighy ways. On the way to school the other morning, he and I were talking and he said, “Mom, you are sooo cool….you are cool with a k. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. I love this saying!

I could not stop laughing, and he proceeded to tell me that kids say this all the time. I don’t care. It’s my new mantra even if it’s old news for the younger generation. I love that my boy says I’m Kool with a K!

I will continue to ride around in my car saying “Kool with a K” –

Thank you for my new Kool thing to say buddy! I love it! But I as Kool with a K that is……….

I love him MORE.

Daughter Love Too –

Love ? I love love love you. (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

This is my little baby…she’s not so little any more though. This child demonstrates the love of her Savior in ways that continually to stun and amaze me. She sprinkles blessings of kindness wherever she walks. She treats me like a queen and loves to do my hair. I love it when she brushes and plays with my hair.

This young lady is unbeleiveably talented in doing  hair and loves to make others feel beautiful and pampered. I love to check out all of  her masterpieces!

I am sure she will continue to make all the women in her life feel like a princess as she creates these wonderful styles! But as much as I love this pampering……….

I love her MORE.

Heart for love project (Photo credit: cuorhome)

 

 

 

 

 

 

And last, but not least – Husband Love –

This is the man that started it all. In fact, he likes to take it to a whole new level by saying I love you the MOST. It is because of this wonderful man and His spiritual leadership in our family that we have all grown closer to our Savior. He is pure of heart, absolutely on fire for Jesus, hilarious with an H, and I love him to pieces!

Romantic Heart form Love Seeds (Photo credit: epSos.de)

The other day, I noticed all the little things he does for us – he really is so good at that. In fact, I can’t even touch the dishes now, as  he has a system all worked out on how he likes to efficiently load the dishwasher. I especially appreciate how he vacuumed not only the entire house, but also our closet!  You can even see the streaks it made –

I love that – freshly vacuumed carpet, don’t you? But as much as I love those streaks……….

I love him MORE.

Locket Heart (Photo credit: goodwillstacy)

So today, I reflect on how wonderful it is to have family – family at home, family in community, family in friends, co-workers, and brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s all because of Him that we get to experience this wonderful emotion – He models it for us, we imitate Him, and we reap the benefits and blessings.

He loves us the best. And He loves us MOST.

Is there someone you want to tell today how very much you love them? Maybe you can wait until they say it first because then YOU can say……………

I love you MORE.

*** l*O*V*E** Shadows everything (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is
love”1  Corinthians 13:13

I Don’t Need a Rubber Duckie or A Brillo Pad

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.” Ps:139:23:

Although my sins have been washed away by what Jesus did for me on the cross, I still gather up the dust of the world and need to take a bath on a daily basis. Spiritual hygiene is vital.

If I fail to bring those new sins of mine to the Lord in confession, am I still saved? Yes! But that sin will grab hold of me and start to drain the life out of me if I don’t bring it all to Him; f I don’t ask Him to purify my heart, search it, and cleanse it.

Fact is, it just gets dirty no matter how hard I try to keep it clean.

Guess what? To take a really good bath, one must be willing to strip down and get into the water. Aaaah….the nakedness of it all!

This is how I see it though: My life has been cleansed by my Savior, and my eternity is locked up tightly because of the blood He shed for me on the cross – it washed me clean, it made me pure in the eyes of God. Yet as I hunger to grow closer and deeper in my personal relationship with Jesus, I am finding how very important it is to remain transparent with Him – to come to His feet daily in repentance for anything that made me look less like HIm that day, to ask Him to remove the grime and build up from the day lest it try to penetrate my heart and stick around, making that its newfound residence.

David knew something about this dirtiness of the heart – he found himself utterly exhausted as a consequence of unconfessed sin in his life. I can learn a lot from his experiences and how the Lord had David share them with us. David shared his heart, and the Bible tells us that he “was a man after God’s heart.” Acts 13:22

David said………………….

“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up by the heat of summer.” Psalm 32: 3-4

It’s hard to ask the Lord to search our hearts sometimes – honestly hard. But dried up bones and a darkened heart doesn’t sound better to me! Even if we know that He already knows what is there, and we have the reassurance that He still loves us (He loved us while we were sinners), and we already know that we are forgiven, it can still be hard to humble ourselves before our Savior (aren’t we strange, that way?)

Silly Rus’ (Photo credit: GloriaGarcía)

What child goes to their daddy on a regular, daily basis and says “I want to confess that although I know how much you love me and dote on me, and will never leave me or disown me for anything I ever do, I would like to share all the bad stuff with you that I did today, okay?

I took the cookie when you told me not to.

“You are forgiven”

Oh, and I hit my brother when you weren’t watching.”

” You are forgiven”

AND I said a naughty word when mom said I couldn’t have the ice cream.

“Forgiven. Now let’s go take a nice, warm bath and talk about it together.”

Although most children don’t do this, they are missing out when they don’t just embrace bathtime in the first place. They still inevitably end up taking the bath anyway –  (We – the children, are funny this way too!)

funny baby (Photo credit: Lucienne °e il suo diario°)

It not only strengthens our relationship, but it just plain makes us feel better to have nothing between us and our loving Savior – nothing to stand in the way of an honest, transparent relationship – and I believe it brings Him great joy as well.

It is important to remain pure and confess our sin daily because otherwise, we start to hide just as Adam and Eve did. Our Father doesn’t want us to ever hide from Him. He loves us! We start to live in shame, cover ourselves, and eventually, we can’t hear His voice. We need to hear His voice to have a two-way relationship with Him. And again, He loves us! He wants us to experience the fullness of joy that a true intimate relationship, nothing hidden, nothing to be ashamed of, entails. That is His plan! How awesome is that?

Even if He already knows it all, it makes us humble, it glorifies Him, it provides restoration and refreshment, and it brings about healing for any scrapes or cuts we picked up along the way when we confess our dirty secrets to Jesus. It keeps us in fellowship with our Savior and our very best friend. It allows Him to wash us clean every single day – to give His children a bath – to wash their backs, let them soak up the smells and the feeling of the soap and the warm water, to stroke and brush their hair until it’s clean and shiny.

What a wonderful way we get to experience afresh (daily!) God’s grace in action.

Love heart (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” “1 Peter 5:6

Those hands are indeed mighty, but they are so very gentle as well. He doesn’t use a brillo pad, or harsh soaps that sting our skin to cleanse us. He washes us in grace instead!

He says He will never leave us or forsake us and that is true. But we can drown out His voice if we keep barriers between us due to unconfessed sin. And you know, He also says that if we seek Him, we will find Him. Isn’t this another way that we are actively seeking Him? We aren’t just coming to Him for forgiveness, or for our much-needed daily bath, but also for intimacy when we confess our heart to the Lord. Even when we already know we are forgiven – it is so cleansing to our relationship to admit the truth – the ugly truth.Then He can help us to turn it into His truth – the beautiful kind.

English: Belle Vue Gazania A Gazania growing amongst lots of other beautiful flowers in Belle Vue Park. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? Proverbs 20:9

Certainly not me. Even on those days (few and far between) that I search my heart and don’t really find any blatant sin that crept in there, when I ask HIM to search it, He usually can reveal something to me. This is part of our discipleship – our learning. Where is the growth without learning?

And again, I don’t see this as God nitpicking me at all! I see it just like a daddy who still gives his baby a bath at night – even when he didn’t go roll around in the mud and muck that day – even when he doesn’t look too dirty from the outside. Because you never know what invisible germs may be lurking on the surface just waiting to seep in. Daddy’s like to take care of their children, and as I said, hygiene is important. So is comfort and warmth.

And baths just feel good, don’t they? Maybe it is just bonding time on a given day; time to listen and let Him probe our hearts, share  His truths, keep us clean and refreshed for the next day we are about to face. We don’t need a rubber duckie to keep us busy in the bathtub for times like these – we have the master storyteller of all keeping us company – I like to listen then – intently. We learn such great things from Him when we listen.

Hand (Photo credit: yorkville)

I am thankful for the opportunity to come before my Father and turn myself in and over to His purifying hands daily. It’s not a works/condemnation thing for me, friends – It’s something that I know is just good for me. It’s something I want to do, even if it’s hard sometimes. What I get in return is just so worth it. Isn’t it just like God to help us come out the other side of something all the cleaner and far more comfortable than we were before? Even when it’s often the result of something we did that was not very nice?

English: baby guinea pigs in a tea cup (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My favorite part of bathtime with Jesus? Watching all that dirt go right down the drain. Then, being dried off with the fluffiest towel ever by my ultimate comforter and protector – it comes from His wing under which He offers me shelter – it comes from being held afterwards in the arms of my Savior. It comes from my Daddy – the one who forgives me for everything -the one who tells me stories in the bathtub. The one who knows just the right temperature to make the water. Every. Single. Time.

Again I have one word for you: Grace.

I could take a bath in that all day long.

1,2,3,4 – Just One Truth and Nothing More

 

And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of
clay, purified seven times”.  Psalm 12:6Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” Proverbs 30: 5

 

Flower (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

 

There are some things in life that are true, and there are quite a few that are not; but the Word of the Lord is always true.

This world is so confusing. There are mixed messages upon polluted philosophies, heaped with syrupy (or bitter, take your pick) mantras and man-made justifications just scrambling everything up and making a mess out of everything; our rules, laws, regulations, guidelines, values, minds, bodies, hearts, souls, and more.

No wonder people are so angry, frustrated, and bummed out so often!

Mad emoticon (Photo credit: wstera2)

To even gain a glimpse of just a semblance of truth in the stuff of this world, one must peel back an gitantic onion that is so filled with fumes, it not only stings the eyes, but practically glues them shut forever. By the time we reach the core, if we even do at all, we are then hard pressed to be able to see anything in order to objectively evaluate it.

This often results in a “throwing up of the hands”, if you will, and an acceptance of what lies on the surface because it is just too much work and far too painful to venture into the heart of the onion.

The Lord and what He has to share with us in His word is the only truth that we can always count upon. Sometimes it stings too, but it never tries to blind or poison us and never coaxes us, tricks us, or deceitfully tempts us to stop digging. Even when does sting a little, all we really need to do is to rub it in and allow it to seep below the surface, adopt it as part of who we really are,and then it becomes spiritual salve. No fumes here!

I find that with most everything, when I am down and out, confused, or just not feeling certain, I have to really take a good look at just who dominating the conversation inside my little head or attempting to pollute my thought life. This especially holds true if someone has hurt me. Then, it’s time to get out the magnifying glass.

 

Magnifying Glass (Photo credit: Clover_1)

I find sometimes that I go right back, even if only momentarily, into those old destructive thought patterns if I am not careful to keep God’s Word in the forefront and at the ready at all times. After all, it is not only our truth, but also our armor.

So please indulge me – allow me to let you in on the little games that my head likes to play on me from time to time, and then the grace and mercy that the Lord provides to me through His powerful word.

This one is on anger, bitterness, or resentment:

 

English: Angry cat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1- Enemy Telling Lies:

 

“Why did she just say that to you that way? Who does she think she is? She is truly just so brazen – she has no social graces or filter whatsoever! She really is quite self-absorbed, when you think about it. If I were you, I would seriously question her motives. Do you think it’s possible she is saying that to take your eye off the ball from what she is really doing – I mean behind your back and all? You had better really watch out for her…she is just pure evil. Better yet: You had better beat her to the punch. Trash her reputation before she trashes yours! Save yourself!

Lies (Photo credit: tq2cute)

 2 – World Talking Jive“You know, you really don’t have to take that from her or anybody else in this world, for that matter. You really should stand up for yourself. You can’t just be a doormat all the time. At the very least, you shouldn’t empower her actions that way by allowing her to get by with stuff like that. It’s irresponsible. I mean, you have to think about yourself too, you know. You need to set her straight and call her right out on this before she gets the idea she can just continue doing this to you. Tap into your power, girl! What goes around comes around, but not all by itself.”

Wonder Woman, partying it up (Photo credit: massdistraction)

 

3 – Annie Self Talk (process of assimilation, then filtration, preparing for radicalization – is that a word? – ha ha!!!!)

 

P question (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

“I am so confused. I guess she was pretty rude to me and it was uncalled for. I mean, she is definitely in the wrong here. How rude! But is it possible it’s just bothering me when it really shouldn’t? You know, that is between her and God, not me – it’s really not up to me to say anything – I mean, she’s not a believer, so I can’t expect her to abide by the same commandments to love others as we love ourselves, now can I? I need to just rise above that and not absorb what I know is not right. OK…Either try to be really kind to her and ask God to make you sincerely forgive her so you can mean it, or just stay away from her and avoid any more trouble. But you definitely can’t snap back….then you would just be sinking to the same level and being a poor example. Turn the other cheek, right? Maybe she has problems that are causing her to be this way. I wish it didn’t bother me or make me feel angry or bitter though…I should be able to love her with grace in spite of it all, but if I am honest, I just don’t. Ug…I am so sensitive…this shouldn’t matter to me!”

4 – God’s Truth (Complete toss out of all previously considered information-He rules and reigns, and through Him, we overcome!)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:43-48

Love Never Fails (Photo credit: jhontumbelaka)

 

Oh yah….He will take care of it. This isn’t about karma.

He also tells me that it would be a good idea for me to do this: 

 

“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the
two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.” Matthew 18:15

That doesn’t really sting too badly, does it?

 

Hands put over another, palms down. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Only God and His Word can truly protect us from the ugly sin and thoughts and actions that attack us; attempting to get us to lash back, wallow in self pity, or rely upon things other than our Lord to make us feel whole. He is truth. But we must remember to ask Him to work within us rather than relying upon our own strength to implement His word, because humans like us? Well, we tend to fail when we try to do it on our own – at least I sure do!

By the way –  Satan enjoys using others to do his dirty work for him – even you and me. Sometimes we don’t even realize we are being used as pawns in an ugly little game. So, we must speak the truth in love if we do speak. And whether we talk or stay silent, we have to arm ourselves. The Lord will give us what we need at exactly the moment that we need it. But just like most everything else available to us when it comes to Jesus – we must seek it.

And who better to trust?  After all……………………….

He’s the defender of the weak. Psalm 68:5  And HIS strength is made perfect in our weakness. 2 Cor 12:9

So how do ya like them onions?

 

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:11

 

 

Jesus Didn’t Have a Cell Phone

“In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” Proverbs 3:6

Our pastor once said that “Jesus didn’t have a cellphone” Those words were ringing and ringing through my head all morning! Although he shared that thought with us in church months and months ago, today, it suddenly popped into my head and I couldn’t get it out. And then I realized that it was because God wanted me to really think about that long and hard  today.

Although I appreciate the way that we can use technology and social media to proclaim the gospel of Christ, as well as to stay “connected” with one another, sometimes I have to listen to the Lord as He reminds me where true connectivity really comes from. It’s far too easy to start to rely only upon our cellphones and the trappings of this world for a sense of companionship and comfort in life. My faith is not in my cellphone!

I was one who was brought up in the generation where we didn’t have such things at our fingertips yet. I am usually behind the times and quite resistant to getting into the game every time there is something new out there to learn.

Case in Point: I set up a Twitter account some time ago because I felt I needed to in order to stay up-to-date with the times and all that the kids are up to, but I have still not set up my profile or started to use it. I am resisting that little blue bird!

via Pixabay

But it is important to go where the people are, and the fact is…people use social media! We just have to be careful that it doesn’t take away from living for Christ.

I only caved in and obtained a cell phone when I started to work nights….for safety reasons – yet I have now succumbed to relying upon it for multitudes of other things. I find myself sometimes relying upon it way too much. I’m in deep.

There are some really good things about having this nice little luxury of communication that’s the size of an Uno Deck of cards in my purse or in my pocket, no doubt. Yet it bothers me when, on that rare occassion, I leave the house without it and I feel somewhat lost, unsafe, or just plain weird. And the Lord is tugging on me about that, for sure – I am so very grateful. He always lets me know when it’s time to unplug a little from the stuff that is distracting me and plug in more to HIM!

Jesus makes it abundantly clear that solitude and time spent in quiet alone with our Father in prayer is of the highest priority! He modeled this time and time again for us when He walked the earth, and shows us not only that we need to do it, but that we should want to spend quiet time with God.

In the face of being constantly busy feeding the multitudes, seeking out sinners in need of a Savior, and healing and caring for people from all walks of life,  He still made time to go off alone and be in the presence of His Father – consistently, and without fail. He would often pray through the night, spent his final and darkest hours in prayer, went off into quiet and desolate places to do so, and didn’t rush it when He got there. The Father was first, and the rest is what He actually “made time” for.

Bernie via Fanpop

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night
praying to God. Luke 6:12

“And when day came, He departed to a lonely place; and the multitudes were searching for Him, and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from going away  from them.”   Luke 4:42

“But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.”   Luke 5:16

“Very early in the morning,  while it was still dark,  Jesus withdrew to a solitary place to be alone with God and pray.” Mark 1: 35

Gazel via Pixabay

“He Himself.”

That really speaks to me! If it is that high of a priority for Jesus Christ HIMSELF to put everything else aside in order to focus upon His relationship with His Father, shouldn’t it be for me?

And it certainly didn’t impact His ministry and ability to reach others and do His Father’s work! Jesus reached the multitudes over and over again and He didn’t need a cell phone to do it. He still does today. Everyone on the planet may have one by the year 2015 (is it?), but God transcends even that – He has a much further range – an infinite one, actually. He can reach us in places that no cell phone could ever go.

I know, we have a lot more people roaming around now than there were 2000 some years ago. I know that it is also a great way that we can spread the Good News across the continents, into the far-reaching deserts and jungles, and even to the isolated mountaintops of places such as Tibet. That’s not the point I wish to make at all; that we should lose the cell phones and social media so we can go back to the days in which Jesus walked the earth. But I do think we could stand to unattach ourselves at times – in fact, I think if we really do want to live a life that edifies Christ, we have to do it.

InlovewithJesus via Fanpop

Part of being still before the Lord is coming to him bare – vulnerable – and without distraction. It’s about approaching Him with reverence and awe and showing Him that He is what is most important to us! This stillness and complete focus upon Him enables us to carry Him with us throughout the rest of the busy day. It helps His voice to ring out loudly from within us in the midst of the ringing of the cell phone and incoming text messages, the daily calling of the email inbox, and the tweets and status updates on facebook that are constantly begging for attention.

No, Jesus didn’t have a cell phone. I don’t think He really wants for me to carry mine with me when I come to bow down before Him in my time that is meant for Him and Him alone. And I know that it isn’t that device that is going to help me to know that I am safe and not alone. Not in this world.

cinti19 via Fanpop

The world tries to tell us that we need to take that cellphone with us wherever we go and we have a better chance of being safe. In some ways, and in certain situations, it is a tool we can indeed utilize for safety and direction. But don’t forget to remember who it is that truly offers us comfort if the lights go out or we lose signal and service. Even when we forget, He will always still be with us. He’s not just in our purses, and not just in our pockets. He is with us in our hearts.

Jesus didn’t hold a cellphone in His hand. And we don’t merely want to hold Him in ours, with our fists closed tightly to hide Him from the world. We want to show Him to everyone we encounter as He bursts from within us and out towards others! Not some of the time – not only when we think we have good “signal” – but all of the time. We never want to unplug from our Savior.

Thankfully, He does hold us in His strong and loving hands. And that’s the safest, most “connected” place we could ever be.

ibelieveinJesus via Fanpop

Dear You

“Then  they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their  distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then  they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired  haven.”Psalm 107:28-30

Dear You…………..

To that person that is crying today, feeling lost, and utterly devastated? I am praying for you….you know who you are.

To that person who is caught in the darkness of depression or loss today? I am praying for you….you know who you are

To that person who has huge, emotionally-impacting, life-changing decisions to make in the face of the unknown today? I am praying for you…you know who you are.

To that person who is waiting, hoping, not sure how it is going to work out today? I am praying for you….you know who you are.

To that person who is shattered, lonely, sad, crying out today? I am praying for you….you know who you are.

To that person who doesn’t know why they are suffering, whose life seems to have no meaning, who is begging to be brought back to who they are and where they were before? I am praying for you….you know who you are.

To that person who lost their job and is seeking God’s direction and guidance and doesn’t know which door to open or try to go through? I am praying for you….you know who you are.

To that person who is praying for their loved one who doesn’t know Jesus to accept His gift of salvation and whose heart breaks because their loved one is refusing? I am praying for you…you know who you are.

To that person who is afraid because they have been judged by “religious” people in the past and are scared and afraid? I am praying for you….you know who you are.

To that person that seeks a companion, who is tired of living alone, who is lonely and sad and unsure of how to meet people? I am praying for you, you know who you are.

To that person who is reaching out boldly, but no one is listening? I am praying for you….you know who you are.

To that person who senses something is missing and doesn’t know where to look or who to turn to? I am praying for you….you know who you are.

To that person who doesn’t think that they know who they are and doesn’t know me and doesn’t know God and just doesn’t know what to know or think or do or wonder? I am praying for you….you know who you are.

To the One, the Almighty, the Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend, Our Shepherd, our Comfort, Our Joy? I am praying to You….You hear my prayers….And we know who You are.

Dear You….

Dear, Dear, Dear, Dear YOU.

Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for  Satan. ~ John Bunyan

**All images included in this post are not my own and have been shared from royalty free websites no restrictions applied – attribution not desired or required.

Are you Dangerous?

Nemo via Pixabay

I’ve never been much of a risk taker. My radar has typically been on high alert when it comes to whether or not there could be danger up ahead. The fear of the unknown, the wrath that others might inflict on me if I offend them, or those things that could knock me off course? Such things were to be avoided at all costs.

Danger? Not really my thing. But I am starting to see very clearly that I am called not only to be willing to face that which might be scary or foreign to me, but also to be dangerous myself.

You see, Jesus didn’t live a safe or comfortable life. He walked amongst those considered to be the dregs of society, shook the very foundations upon which the all-powerful leaders and lawmakers of the land stood, spoke truth that flew in the face of everything accepted as “politically correct” or culturally appropriate at the time, touched, hugged and healed lepers and others who had been shunned by everyone else, broke bread with sinners, ran off as a young child to go about His Father’s business, stayed quiet when He could have saved His own neck, spoke up when He knew it probably wouldn’t, and, all the way up to the very last breath – showed mercy and compassion  and offered salvation to the thieves, drunkards, and all the sinners of the world (uh-hem, that’s you and me) – past, present, and future.

Danger? It is Jesus’ thing.

Not everyone is called to or equipped to go out to war-torn countries to live dangerously for the Lord. We don’t need to seek out the criminals of the world, the drug dealers, the pimps, or the people fighting brawls in every bar across the land. Danger is present all around us – we just don’t confront it enough. We hide. We stay comfortable. We play the game that the world tells us to because “safety first” and “live and let live” are the mantras of our culture, our world. It’s a world that does not embrace Jesus, that’s for sure. But we have the opportunity to proclaim his truth daily – right where we are at.

God’s truth has been viewed as dangerous for the majority of mankind’s existence. Few want to hear it, live it, or face it, much less fully embrace it. His truth entails real change if we are to walk it, talk it, and live it, and most people don’t want any part of it.  Change isn’t comfortable. Right living? Not comfortable. Living for the glory of God versus self and making the occassional sacrifice for all that is good and right in the world?

D-A-N-G-E-R!

greyerbaby via Pixabay

I am reading a wonderful book right now written by Greg Laurie, called “Making God Known.” I absolutely love what he has to share about proclaiming the gospel. He says that we are to be “spiritually dangerous” if we desire to make an impact for the kingdom of God – and he emphasized that the Lord has asked us to be this way. And just sharing the simple, yet powerful message of the gospel with others, in whatever way that we can, makes us “spiritually dangerous” in this world in which we live. But it takes courage and a willingness to trust that the Lord will be with us every step of the way; empowering us, telling us what to say and do, carrying us through the darkness and over and through the obstacle courses that are part of the dangerous places in which we will begin to reside.

No, we don’t have to be scared, because Jesus is at the wheel as we venture off the highway and into the sidestreets of life. He will be the light for us in the wooded, dark areas, He will give us the gas that we need to keep moving down the road, He will be our signpost when we am not sure which way to turn, and He will guide our every action, thought, and word. He doesn’t promise us that we will come out unscathed; not at all. But He does promise us that He will never leave us.

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him,
but also to suffer for him Philippians 1:29

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no
evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

MattGruber via CreationSwap

We don’t have to worry if others feel offended, because we are looking at life in the face of eternity, not just this time we spend here on earth, and how comfortable we are while we are here.  I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have people feel a bit angry towards now – initially offended- uncomfortable- unsettled – than to have them cry out later “why didn’t my friend tell me about Jesus? Why didn’t she share how crucial this was and that I would spend eternity apart from Him if I didn’t make a decision to accept Him as my Savior? If she only would have told me! If she only would have cared more about my soul than her comfort!”

Mr. Laurie shares in his book, “People don’t convert people – the Holy Spirit does.”  Allow me echo that: GOD is the one who converts people – God and God alone! But He likes to use us to reach other people – He has His divine reasons for that. To do so, we have to be willing to take what the world might call risks. To do that, we must at times, be politically incorrect. To do that, we  have to be willing to take up our own cross, just as Christ has done for us, and not only carry it, but kiss it and embrace it – even when we think we can’t carry it one more step! And it can be done with the love of Christ – it can be done by speaking that truth of His in LOVE.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘if any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me’. Matthew 16:24

If we are going to follow Jesus, there is going to be danger involved. But He is with us.

It is then up to us to obey His command – We are to share Christ with others, in love, yet boldly too. It’s up to us to proclaim the gospel and the truth. It’s up to us to be willing to live dangersouly for Jesus, and to be committed to that and faithful to Him every step of the way. And we will have to face worldly dangers in order to be “spiritually dangerous” for the Lord – lots of them!

If you are wanting to be more of a risk taker for Jesus, listen to that inner voice and just do it!  Jump in armed with the word of the Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit. Find the ways that you can use the gifts the Lord has given you to proclaim the good news of the gospel, to sing His praises, and to bring others to Him so that He can do His work within their hearts and souls.

And lest you are wondering if you have what it takes? God is who qualifies you to do this. You don’t need special skills or a degree in theology to do it. He chose fishermen and tax collectors to carry this out when He picked His own disciples over 2000 years ago.

Aaron Dailey via CreationSwap

Let me share something with you about  being dangerous for Jesus:  Is it going to be anxiety-producing at times? Yes. Are people going to reject you for it? Yes. Could you lose a job, a position, a special invite, a friend over it? For sure. Are people going to laugh at you, ridicule you, shun you, or even worse, beat you up for it in every way imaginable? Probably.

But again, you can take heart in this: You are not alone…….

Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If
they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching,
they will obey yours also. John 15:20

And if you haven’t already accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, are YOU feeling led to do something dangerous, what might you do to join us in this adventurous life that God has in store for you? I will share that with you below, so PLEASE read on!  I must tell you, if you make the decision to follow after Christ NOW, you will enter into a dangerous earthly life, but, in reality, you will truly be safer than you have ever been before – because your life will now be spent eternally with Him, not apart from Him. And Hell is very real, my friends – really, it is. Hell is the ONE danger that I, personally, want to avoid at all cost!

How do I obtain salvation through Jesus Christ and accept Him as my Lord and Savior? It’s not complicated at all. The Bible tells us that we “all fall short of the glory of God.” Because of that, we must………..

Acknowledge that you are a sinner and in need of forgiveness. Sin is anything that falls short of the mark of holy perfection. No one is perfect, and utterly holy but God – so we are all sinners. We need our sins to be forgiven so that we can no longer be separated from God.

God sent His only son, Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sin…………..

Believe in Jesus and recognize that he died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. He is alive and He paid the penalty for OUR sin.

We must turn away from that sin and turn towards Jesus and accept the fact that it is by “grace and grace alone” that we are forgiven………….

Repent from your sin – We must admit we have sinned and sincerely wish to turn away from it. We can ask Jesus to then forgive us of those sins, and He promises to do so.

We then need to invite Him into our hearts and lives and ask Him to save us and be the Lord of our lives………..

Pray to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior – you can pray something similar to this below, but realize that you can use your own words and the Lord will hear you:

Jesus, I know that I have sinned and am in need of your gift of salvation. I realize that what I have earned of my own doing would be death and separation from You. I do believe that You died in my place instead and I ask that You forgive me for my sin.I realize that only You can save me and offer me forgiveness, I cannot do this on my own. I repent of my sin, and reject it from my life; I truly desire to turn away from it and change directions with you. Jesus, please come into my life, remove my sin, and show me how to make you the Lord of my life. I wish to live a life that is pleasing to you.

Jon Romero via CreationSwap

If you just prayed this with a sincere and believing heart, you are now saved by the blood of Jesus Christ! You are ready to start being spiritually dangerous. And you will spend eternity in heaven with Him!

Please go to the homepage of this blog and click on the page entitled “Salvation through Jesus Christ” for more information and suggestions on things you can do to start to grow in your personal relationship with your Savior! You need to begin to arm yourself for the wonderful adventure you are about to embark upon as you start to follow after a life with Christ!

Bruce Jennings via CreationSwap

And if you are already a Christian who loves your Savior and has made Him the Lord of your life – are you ready to start being spiritually dangerous? Take up your cross, and take the first step. There’s someone far stronger than you are that will help you to carry it if you grow weary.

Danger? Never really been my thing. Until now.

I am glad I have others to keep me company along the way.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

Menopause and Just Because

 

I think I have mentioned before that I am in peri-menopause at this time in my life, and it is sometimes not the most pleasant thing in the world. I could write an entire book about all of the things one goes through in relation to this little adventure, which  can last on average, about ten years. But I am not going to do that, because it would probably take about that long to finish, and quite frankly my dear ones, I just have better things to write about! So, BAM!  Ha Ha.

Truthfully, I had not been prepared to start this lovely process involving constant chemical changes raging within as a forty-something woman, and all I had ever heard about in relation to it was that hot flashes and mood swings would be part of the game. No worries!

BAM, right back at me with a deadly right hook and a nice little set of symptoms I didn’t know about to contend with!!! We now have a declaration of war!

There are soooo many other things that happen as a result of this little tug of war between your hormones, and it is not EVEN funny! One set of them that I have experienced to a level that has my jaw gaping in utter disbelief is joint pain, fatigue, and deep tissue muscle pain. I wake up every day wondering to myself, “If it feels like this at the age of 46, I don’t know how my in-laws in their 80’s have any quality of life at all.” Then I have to remember that this too, shall pass.

It all peaked at a point of desperation a few months back when my husband and I realized that this battle for my body and the way that it functions is continuing to escalate and suck the life right out of me. So we knew that I was going to have to do something to alleviate the casualties of war, and fast! “Menopause? You’re a punk!”

Rather than invest a ton of money into going to chiropractors, doctors, accupuncturists (although I may try that one), or a whole bunch of herbs and remedies, I did a lot of research and talked to lots of women and found that massage therapy was one of the most effective ways of alleviating some of the pain associated with these symptoms.

I can tell you this now, and this is the absolute truth – this has not resulted in a hormonal peace agreement nor a ceasefire, but it definitely has thwarted the plans of the enemy and prevented further ambushes from taking out my good troops. One or two good massages per month and a little strategizing, planning, and dedicated maintenance is not very expensive and really pays off! I truly do feel so much better.

Although perimenopause and the pain and symptoms involved with it is a minute thing to deal with in life when compared with other things that are much more devastating, it is pervasive and can absolutely overtake one’s entire existence if steps aren’t taken to better cope with it along the way. After all, I have Jesus to focus upon and joy to live out and this is competing for far too much of my attention and energy at this point. I don’t think it’s good at all to be a complainer, and this was really giving me a run for my money in that department!You may have heard the potter/clay analogies and teachings from the Bible before – I have too. What I am going through now at this stage in my life has given me a real and practical, personal application for it – I am literally watching it as it is happening, my Almighty Father, the Potter, molding me – His clay, and I am grateful for the fresh perspective He is giving me.

Here is my story…………

I have the greatest massage therapist in the world. She is strong, compassionate, and far and beyond one of the most educated people I have ever met when it comes to the human body and all of the things that exacerbate our aches and pains.

Her hands are so strong, but emanate grace and care for her patients. But because of her own occupation, she can experience pain too.  She has carpel tunnel syndrome, and her hands seize up on her  late at night at times. She has neck pain from standing over and leaning into people’s backs and muscles to get deep enough to bring them some relief. But she keeps on going, never complains, and you would never know she is suffering in any way while she is diligently working and kneading your body to a state of peace and reprieve from pain.

These massages that I get are not tickle massages – they are a workout through and through (mostly for her, and then my muscles feel it later).  They last for about two hours, and she digs in to every single muscle, tendon, and attachment (those are deeeep down). Not one square inch of me is left untouched by the time she is finished. She knows everything about my body, has seen every stretch mark, every scar, any bruises, all my broken blood vessels, all my dull and old skin, and believe me when I say this; there is no where for any residual fat one may have lurking below left to hide when it comes to this one!

One is fully exposed and completely vulnerable when submitting to this process – trust is absolutely essential. There is no room for shame or holding back and resisting, lest no headway be made. Aside from having a baby, I have never been so exposed, and she is nothing but gracious to me. I’m a well-cared for baby in her hands.

She knows my body. And she listens to it to see what has changed since the last time I have seen her. She tailors what she knows she needs to do for my own good to what she knows I can actually withstand. But she does ask for something in return from me too – I am asked to go home and take a bath in epsom salts after each session to draw what she has brought up to the surface the rest of the way out.  This not only purges the rest of the toxins out of the tissue, but then redeposits certain things your body needs back in for you all at the same time. I am told to drink plenty of extra fluids and keep my water intake up every day between visits. I am asked to roller out my back and do specific stretches every night to maintain my results and heal. And of course, my lifestyle in general needs to consist of good sleep, stress reduction, exercise, excellent nutrition and sound mental and emotional health. I have no problem with that.

Along with that physical battle these fun little hormones cause, there  will always be another war raging within me that is just as life-consuming and debilitating, and one that is far more influential in my life than the one my hormones have undertaken. This one is spiritual – and one that is lifelong until I go home to be with my Savior for all eternity.

Sin enters in and spreads its poison and goes to bat against the Holy Spirit who lives inside of me. And there is no masseuse on this planet who can help me to fight that kind of battle with any kind of lasting power.

        via gospelgifs.com

But, thankfully, I do know someone else who has that kind of power and He lives within me! His name is Jesus Christ and He isn’t about to be kicked out of the home He has made in my heart. He has divinely empowered hands – and He knows me inside and out (physically, spiritually, in every way) like no other.  He molds me into what He wants me to become (more like Him) if I submit myself into His holy and healing hands.

This is not something than happens simply due to a 10 year “change of life”, nor is it something that ends after roughly ten years of good therapy. It happens because of sin that we contend with and fight against as Christians, as we are still flawed human beings too. Thankfully, if we are saved, our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus, but life still takes a toll upon us as it dishes out more than we can take sometimes and we are sometimes overcome by temptation and the poison of sin.

       www.heartlight.com

I’m so grateful that the Lord never stops molding us and working with us, His clay. He is intent on bringing about a complete transformation and restoration for us as we journey through this earthly life until the very day that we go to spend our eternal one with Him. There, we will experience no sin, no sorrow, no aches or pains, no tears, no suffering. And there, we will STILL be in His hands.

And like my dear massage therapist, His hands have taken a beating for us – they press us and shape us and sometimes there is pain involved. Yet His own hands show us that He knows pain – not pain from His own sin, but that which He chose to take upon Himself because of ours -OUR SIN.

He did this for us on the cross, and because of it, we are seen as righteous in the eyes of God. His hands were pierced and He was nailed to it – for you – for me! I can place myself, like putty in those beautiful hands, because I trust upon Him – and He has done far more for me and withstood far more pain for me than I could ever begin to imagine.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

angelafletcher via Binlam.com

He knows just how much therapy to provide…just how much I can withstand. He is patient, yet tough when I need it. He digs deep, if only I will surrender. He re-deposits His living water inside of me to replenish the tired and sore spots we are working on at any given time. He cares for me as he molds me, blesses me, and transforms me through the work of His glorious and mighty hands.

I could stay there forever, and I have decided that I will.

I am already spotless in the eyes of the Lord because Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins, rose again, and I accepted His gift of salvation. I am a new creature in Him, and just as the bible says, all the old has passed away and I am a new creation. But I still live in this flesh and walk upon this earthly land, so I continue to grow – and to grow to be more like the Holy One, shedding of the stuff that likes to creep in and stunt that very growth is necessary. We pick up toxins as we walk along this earthly path in life – ugliness creeps in no matter  how hard we try – the elements wreak havoc on our spiritual newness in Him, and we must be willing to submit to being worked over by Him in order to bear good fruit. I am more than grateful to be like putty in my Savior’s hands.

            via binlam.com

He has my body in his hands. He  has my heart in his hands. He has my life in his hands.  And I am putty in His hands. He’s got the whole world in those hands too – right in His very palm – at the tips of His almighty fingers.

It’s all under control.

One day I will see more clearly how going through menopause is all for a good cause – but for now, I am just thankful that I am loved and molded by Him…..whatever place I might be in – whatever “stage in life” happens to come my way. And…I am so thankful that He loves us, even “while we were still sinners” – so very thankful that He loves us just the way we are………..

Just because.

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8

http://www.heartlight.com

If you haven’t already, might you accept His healing touch in your life today?

To Infinity and Beyond!!!!

Photo Courtesy of UponthisRock.com

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

We truly have an awesome Creator, Father and Savior! There is so much robust inspiration to be found through these verses that the Lord God provides to us.

Some of the things He shows me about Himself today:

• God is Glorious and deserves ALL our praise!
• He is able – He is Mighty – He is limitless…….
• God’s spirit works within us – from the inside out.
• He will do more in our hearts and lives than we could ever imagine or even ask for!
• The Lord never changes.
• Our God and His glory endures forever.
• All this and more, He has done and will do throughout all generations.

I think that it brings God great joy to fulfill our dreams and desires and to be invited to work within us without limitation. It brings Him glory and honor as well, of which, ALL –  He deserves!

Photo Courtesy of UponthisRock.com

I completely believe without reservation that God, the Almighty can do anything. But I think He takes the greatest delight in doing so by working from the inside out. I find that I often don’t give the Lord credit for what He WILL do within me and in my life. I don’t really understand it either, because I look back upon all that He HAS done, and I stand amazed. Truly, my Savior has performed uttter miracles in my life and those of my loved ones time and time again.

I realize that I am holding back from my Father when I don’t come to Him in the joyful expectation that He wants me to; to ask for Him to show me His wonders and power and to lead me to things that I previously thought to be impossibilities or far-fetched little “dreams” that just weren’t practical. Thankfully, He is “able” without me and can do more than I can even ask for or think. And mercifully, He does.

But I want to be a source of delight for my Father – I don’t want to forget to ask. It does a Father’s  heart good to have His children that He loves come to Him and ask for His blessings. It brings Him joy to know that I invite Him to make His glory and power manifest in my life, from within me, even though He can do it without need of my permission if he so desires.

Today I thank Jesus for reminding me that He wants for me to deepen my belief and my faith in Him –  and that I need to stop thinking in limited ways as to what He can do through “His mighty power that’s at work within me”. I plan to ask for Him to make His power burst forth from the inside out. Without limits.

Photo Credit UponthisRock.com

He makes “dreams” become blissful realities. He can and will accomplish new and wonderful things that defy “reality” as we know it.

To infinity!

And as far as beyond? I cannot wait to behold it.

Do you have a dream you have asked the Lord to fulfill in your life lately that you would like to share?

Singing through the Sobs – Mama has to go now

This is the longest post I have ever written, but like all my posts, it is a story, and I just cannot bear to break it up into pieces – not this one. So you may wish to save it for reading when you have some time. You may need tissues too, depending on what you have experienced in your own life. (I have gone through a box already just in writing this).

I have completed my goal to write to you, thirty stories in thirty days. The Lord really placed that upon my heart and He has been gracious to allow it to happen. I will continue to write to you, dear friends, of the wonders my Lord, my God is doing in my life. I will continue to pray that He blessses you as you press deeper into His bosom and praise His glorious and wonderful name. It is a blessing for me to be able to reach out to each of you and to share all that He is placing upon my heart.

Thank you for being a part of my continued journey in Christ. And thank you for inviting me to be a part of yours.

People sing, even when they’re sad. And did you know that we can worship God any time? No matter how we feel, happy, or blue…Our God, we can sing to Him. And He hears us, our songs, our cries, and our praises. He hears us singing, even through the sobs.

We’re closing in on almost three years now, since my beautiful mama left this world to go home to live with her Savior. I can remember so clearly driving across Kansas to try to reach her in time.

My brothers and I had been taking multiple trips to go out and spend time with dear mama as she slipped further and further out of our reach. We sometimes got to be there with her, all of us together, to listen to her, to talk and sit with her and read the Bible and pray. We were able to rub lotion on her hands, massage her arms, administer medication, cry, laugh, and eat chocolate. We got to talk to doctors, nurses, learn about controlled medications, and eat chocolate. And we wept with family, hosted friends and visitors, administered said medication, and ate chocolate.

Good thing that chocolate isn’t a controlled medication…..I’d be an addict AND a criminal if that were so!

We got to also, for precious moments at a time – to, just be……… A family.

My brothers and myself, we really didn’t know exactly when mama would leave us. Honestly, the heightened awareness of the fact that it “could be any time” lasted over a period of several weeks. Every time all the hospice workers and grief counselors said, “any time now,” she would bounce back to us again. We loved the fact we got to have her with us all the longer, but that was seriously stressful! Wondering when exactly the hammer was going to drop upon our heads and the light in our hearts to momentarily be blown out. The not knowing….the not wanting to not be there when she needed us most…this aspect of it all, along with worrying about how much pain she might be in was probably the worst part for me.

But we had jobs and families outside, (all three of us lived in different towns/states) so we unfortunately had to start taking shifts to come out to be with our dear one.

Mama battled cancer well. Not just with the most phenomenal example of grace that I have ever seen, but she was just strong as a horse physically. None of us could believe what all her poor cancer-filled little body could take. When she finally did leave us, it truly looked as though she were being ripped right out of her body….pulled up into the air, by the hand of God Himself (at least that’s what it looked like to me).

I think mama was so solid in her faith and her belief that God would always be there – waiting for her when the time was right, that she fought to stay with us, her children, as long as she possibly could. I really believe that SHE was ready to go, but she wasn’t sure if we were ready for it. She didn’t want to leave without her family. And God answered her prayer for that. He allowed her to stay until He saw fit to say that it was finished. Mama’s pain and affliction was used for OUR good and His purposes in our lives. Have you ever experienced the excruciating feeling of knowing a suffering loved one is staying around and continuing to endure unimaginable pain for YOU?

It wrenches my heart every time I think of it. Something is squeezing it very tightly right this very moment. But I know it to be true.

God never allows pain  without a purpose in the lives of His children. He never allows Satan, nor  circumstances, nor any ill-intending person to afflict us unless He uses that  affliction for our good. God never wastes pain. He always causes it to work  together for our ultimate good, the good of conforming us more to the likeness  of His Son (see Romans 8:28-29). ~ Jerry  Bridges

I remember one day (when she could still speak a little) she kept saying that over and over….”I want ALL of my family to come with me to  heaven,” I want ALL of my family to come with me to heaven.” Once the statement started to take on a tone of distress, I told mama that the Bible says that Jesus was recognized after His resurrection. If Jesus was recognizable in His glorified body, wouldn’t we be recognizable in our own? And, we’d be right behind her – that it just wasn’t our turn yet. The passing of time in heaven is something we cannot fully understand.

I told mama, that what we DO know, is that God is going to be there with her – waiting. She will be in His presence until we come to join her. And He will be with us too, here….while we wait. For we too, are his children. We too, are his sheep.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them  eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my  hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is  able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (Jesus speaking) John 10:27-29

I had prayed quite a bit and asked the Lord to give me what I should say in the event this very thing should happen. I knew mom was so very concerned about leaving us behind, her three children. Grown as we are, we are still her babies. That has to be heart-wrenching in a way I cannot fully imagine. I thank My Father in heaven for giving me the words to say. Mama really did seem to be honestly relieved by this, and other things that my brothers were able to share with her. With me, she simply nodded with what seemed like a very peaceful look on her face. She just no longer seemed sad or worried about it. God had given her His peace.  And He had given it to me as well. We have an abundantly gracious Father.

Things started to change after that, as I recall. Mama continued to share the things she was experiencing, seeing, and hearing with us. She told us of the people she was meeting, and the fact that “He is coming.” I will be writing about that another time.

So, we now will return to this clear memory I have of driving across Kansas.
It was my turn to get to go out and be with mama and I left Colorado again to make the 8 hour drive. Being a person who works at night, I decided to stay on my normal schedule and drive out this February night instead of battling the sunshine and the traffic. (It’s a bit easier to be in the dark when you are grief-stricken).

Honestly, I do not remember if this was the last and final trip that I made before she passed away, or just another one of the many I’d take over the last few weeks before she went to be with God.

I remember……………………………………………

This trip, this drive, is the one I remember the most though. I had been running on adrenaline for quite some time, and had gotten used to coming back to my own sweet little family, my job, and my responsibilities for a week or so, then turning around to go out to Kansas again. I knew this trek across this stretch of deserted and boring concrete like the back of my hand. Dark or no dark.
As much as I dreaded these long and boring drives, I grappled with the guilt every time I thought that to myself, as I knew that when the drives out there ceased, what that would mean for all of us. So I tried to be grateful to have a reason to get to go yet another time. Music is what kept me company. There’s not much else to look at along that long road. Especially in the dark. And honestly, I needed to drown out the mutterings in my head – they really weren’t comforting ones….just me and my little mind talking to itself.

Although this particular trek is so clear in my mind’s eye, it, ironically, was an extremely dark and foggy and VERY snowy night. Truly, I was in the midst of a blizzard at 1am in the morning…..moving at a pace of about 5-10 mph. Absolute and complete white knuckles all the way from Hays to Topeka. Not sure if I’d make it to there….to see my dear mama. Not sure if I might die before she did…in a ditch somewhere…freezing, in the dark…muttering to myself and praying for my Savior to drown out my own voice, until my heart would just…..stop. (“Maybe that’s as it should be?”, I thought).

Snap out of it!

“I am really starting to lose my mind,” I thought to myself, laughing out loud quite hysterically.
I had made it a habit of listening to praise and worship music on these trips. I learned certain songs by heart, and listened to the same ones over and over and over again. I sang them when I didn’t want to. I sang them through the screams. I sang them through the hysterical laughter. I sang them through the fear of driving off the road.

And I sang them through the sobs…the rib cage cracking, heart being squeezed to the point of pain, my head is going to implode any moment, sobs.

All of those songs hold a special place in my heart now. But the one I remember the most, is the one I sang over and over during that blizzard….three of the darkest and longest hours of my life. This little song….well it’s the one that came to mind when I finally turned off the radio as I was trying to conserve the little gas I had left (for some reason, I had the insane idea that the radio was going to suck all the heat out of the heater and the gas out of the tank – go figure).

(5 miles per hour. Blizzard. Can’t see. Slower ‘ cross Kansas, poor old me.)
This little light of mine

(choking sobs-heaving chest, clinging to Jesus, He loves me the best)
Is mom still there? Are my brothers okay? Am I going to wreck? Will I see them today?)
I’m gonna let it shine.

(streaming and stinging, grief and pain, trying to see through the sleet and the snowy rain)
This little light of mine

(headlights fuzzy, dark and cold, wow this song, it’s getting old)
I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine (choke), let it shine

(aaah….wailing cries, screaming loud, will my God ever lift this cloud?)
Won’t let Satan blow it out

(Screaming now, “I hate your guts, I hate you Satan, you’re making me nuts!)
I’m gonna let it shine

(ah, ha, ha, ha…sniff! I can’t breathe, better stop, cuz I may heave)
Won’t let Satan blow it out

(awful enemy, go back home, I can’t stand you, leave me alone!)
I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Whaaaaaa Haaaa Haaaaa AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!

The snow let up just as I pulled into Topeka. I had no more tears left for the time being. Oddly, I felt reenergized. There had been a couple of times before this in my life that I truly cried out to God. This time….I practically left my body doing it. I guess in a way, this was my moment for God to lift ME out of MY body and unto Him. It saved me. It helped me be able to face the day.

And then, mama left us.

The day that mama went home to be with her Savior, we all got to be there with her, my brothers and me. She had told us in days previous to that one the wonderful things she got to see as she was waiting on the Lord. The most important thing she told us was that He says we are all invited.

“Tell EVERYONE they are invited. He says ‘Come All’.”

I guess in kind of a strange, yet glorious way, she did get to take some of us along with her to heaven – even if it was just to the edge of it and back. But the message He sent – THAT gets to stay with us forevermore. And He’s the light that won’t ever go out.

I will hold that little mama light of mine close to my heart while I’m still here. But I won’t be needing it any longer once it’s my turn to join her and my Savior for eternity. He IS the light. And He is with me NOW. In a way, so is Mama.

Do you think He will choose for her to come with Him to the gates when it’s time to greet me? Will mama’s face be the one I see right after I get to see His?

I can almost hear her voice singing to me now….telling me…reminding me of what I can do in the meantime……while I wait…………………..

“You know Anne, you can worship God ANY time!”

“Yes I can, mama. Yes, I most certainly can.”

And yes………………………………..I WILL.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Psalm 116: 15

Do you have someone whose little light still shines in your heart? I would love to hear about it! Please share below in the comments if you wish.

Riddly Riddly Ree

“Riddly Riddly Ree – I see something you don’t see…
And it’s…………………………BLUE!”

What a fun little childhood game we used to play! Our little family played this many, many times in our car…especially when we would drive to Kansas to see my mother.

VERY. LOOONNNNG. DRIVE.

Our girls loved the searching and guessing aspect of this game. It was fun for them to try to look around the car and find out what the blue thing was they needed to find. Whoever came up with this game is quite the genius!  Essentially, it’s hide and seek played out in sedentary places – and kids love it!

If after a certain time of guesswork, no one could find the blue thing that the person was thinking of, one could say “I give up.” Then, out of grace and kindness, the person who was “it” would tell what the mysterious item was all along, putting an end to the mystery and offering a bit of peace to the other game players.

Our son, (we mostly played this when they were all quite small) was famous for not enjoying the seeking part of this game at all. It was so cute when it was his turn and he’d simply say,

“Riddly Riddly Ree….I see something you don’t see………
And I………………GIVE UP!!!!”

 (It usually sounded a bit more like (“and eye geeeve uppp!”).

So cute! Everyone, including him, would laugh so hard. He felt this was just plenty of fun. No need to search and try to unravel some stupid mystery! Cut right to the chase, that was what he liked to do. Then we’d simply move back on to the girls and play on. And on, and on, and on the game would go!

In our spiritual lives, if we want to have a really true personal relationship with Jesus, giving up is just not an option though, is it? We are to seek Him with all we have, and in turn, He promises we shall find Him. There are so many things in our world that tempt us to (temporarily, at least) give up seeking His face and remaining in His presence.

• Is my car seat too comfortable?
• Are there too many bright and shiny things to look at outside my window?
• Do I have my own little discourse going on in my own head preventing me from being able to dedicate the time to search for something outside of myself?
• Is there room for Jesus?
• Am I blocking my vision by instead trying to get my brother’s cheerios away from him?

This isn’t just another cute quote – God tells it to us Himself in the Bible…………………..

“But rather, seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Luke 12:31 KJV

Jesus should take up the prime space in my life – He is THE priority. Everything else needs to just get right on out of the way. The Lord will then make room for the necessities, and the blessings that should be a part of my life.

 And yes, all of the above things I listed, and more –  I am guilty of…..sometimes simultaneously. Aaarggg!

God’s face is there for us to seek…His light, glory, love, wisdom, direction, and more are all readily available to us. And He wants for us to be active participants in our relationship with Him. He truly wants to be sought out by us.

And although this is far from a game,we will find ourselves having to search pretty hard at times. God has His reasons for that. But it doesn’t change what He has promised us – that He will not forsake us – and that He will be found by us if we are seeking Him.

“Riddly Riddly Ree –
Do you see what I can see?…..”

He is there for you too, and He wants you to see Him.

But just in case you are thinking about giving up…………………………..

We can seek Him together.

“But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29

**All images used courtesy of Pixabay royalty free images – no attribution necessary

Mama Used to Come to My House

Mama used to come to my house.
This bag, inside, she’d lug…
She’d set it by the door,
And start to give the kids their hugs.

Cancer moved it to the closet –
Stored away for rainy days –
The shadow shocks arrive,
Feeling somewhat sad and dazed.

Maybe I’ll look inside –
Memories of her to be found there?
Or will that make things worse?
Don’t know if I should dare.

I smell her mama smell –
But these are just some robes…..
Deeper, digging, hoping –
I continue to search and probe.

Out comes light and beauty,
My mama’s pretty face –
Hidden down deep inside,
Of a dark corner; it’s own space.

Is this a magic bag?
One like Mary Poppins’?
Will I keep on finding things?
Is that the way these things, they happen?

Nope. This isn’t magic.
No special tricks in here…
God sends me a special message –
That He wants for me to hear.

So back to the closet it goes.
But I think it needs more light.
I’ll make it nicer in here –
I’ll make it a bit more bright.

Mama used to come to my house.
This bag, she’d always bring –
But she’s still here and with us….
In our hearts, she hums and sings.

Revelation 21:4  “He will wipe away every tear from  their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor  crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Is there someone you love who has gone home to be with the Lord who used to come and visit you at your house? Please feel free to share your story below in the comments!

Owies and Ouchies, and Ooooze, OH MY!

When I was a young child, I chose to disobey my parents sometimes. Surprised? I know! It’s hard to believe.

I had a habit of going barefoot outside a lot, and for some reason, I would always end up getting hangnails on my big left toe. I wonder if it might be due to the fact that I went and played in the mud, squished tadpoles and frogs between my muddy toes, then moved on to the sandbox, the see-saw (splinters and all), and ran up and down the concrete stubbing my toes over and over again?

Ya think????????????

Maybe I just have sensitive toes.

Of course, they would inevitably become infected. Most of the time, it was that one left big toe, but sometimes even the other side was injured too.

This is when, at a very young age, (puffing out my chest with great pride right about now) I learned what “pus” meant.

“Pus” – A thick yellowish or greenish liquid produced in infected tissue, consisting of dead white blood cells and bacteria with tissue debris.”

Yes, I was enthralled with dictionary definitions early on, my friends. I thought I was pretty cool stuff since I knew what such an adult-sounding, medically-oriented type word meant. Leave it to me to find a way to feel good about myself in the face of making stupid blunders and acting in a disobedient manner to the point my poor mother wanted to pull her hair out. LOL!

via microsoft office images

But I didn’t think it was cool to have infected and pus-filled toes. However, I continued to enjoy going outside barefoot anyway. I guess my control issues emerged at an early stage in life as well. (snicker, snicker, wink, wink)

Every time I got an infected toe, my mom wanted to soak it in epsom salts to draw out the pus and prevent the problem from getting worse. Of course, she had already tried to nip the problem in the bud proactively by admonishing me about going outside barefoot in the first place – almost always to no avail. Most of the time, since she allowed me to disobey about the BIG thing already, I would comply with her request to soak the toe in the HOT, salty water – yelling at her (killing the doctor/messenger) the whole time, of course. Ouch!

Wasn’t I a GREAT kid?

via microsoft office images

A year or two passed, and after multiple infected toes, I decided that I was just about done with the salty soaks. I still wanted to have my way though (of course!) – BOTH ways, you see….I wanted to go outside barefoot, AND I didn’t want to have to soak my toe if a hangnail emerged  –  The control issues evolve!

Side Note: Anyone ever hear of the definition of insanity? Yep….I embodied that – quite well, I might add.

Well, a whopper of an infected left toe ensued after playing outside barefoot several days in a row. My saintly mother decided to allow me to exert my rights and not soak the toe this time. Guess what happened? Over the next couple of days it got more swollen, the pus turned greener and grosser, and I learned what the term “gangreen” meant. (Thanks to my eloquent and neurotic father)

Cool. Another new word. And a REALLY infected toe this time!

“Gangreen” – The term used to describe the decay or death of an organ or tissue caused by a lack of blood supply. It is a complicaiton resulting from infectious or inflammatory processes, injury, or degenerative changes associated with chronic diseases.

Thinking to self at that time: “I wonder what “degenerative” means?”

I ended up having to go to the military hospital (yuck-o-rama!) to get it lanced. But I had to get some shots too. I don’t know if your mind played tricks on you when YOU were a kid, but mine liked to put on a full-on magic show a lot of the time. I seriously thought I might have to lose my toe or foot…I was fully expecting the machetes to come out any time. These dudes in white coats looked like evil men of misery to me…I could swear that in my line of vision, I saw two or three of them in the background snickering and waiting for a turn to hack at the oozing mess! (Choppity Chop)

I learned then that I did NOT want to display my newfound knowledge of medical terminology by going into the field of medicine. Astute of me, no? (I was a perceptive and extremely intelligent little kid too – tee hee)

            via microsoft office

Yes…covering up the toe didn’t keep me from the knife (eh-hem, “lance”). Putting a bandaid, and then an even bigger bandaid on it – those didn’t help either. Secretly soaking it by myself a couple of nights when no one was watching in the bathtub (without the salt, mind you) yielded nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada.  I got hauled off to the dang hospital and the men in white coats had at it.

By the way: I developed a phobia of men in white coats, needles and lance-like scalpels from that point on…I guess that’s three phobias…..but that’s another story.

via microsoft office

We all know where I am going with this. The problem was not the bandaid. The problem wasn’t really even the hangnail. It wasn’t the infection, or the fact that I wouldn’t soak the toe, or the frogs or the mud. The problem was sin. It was my disobedience. My refusal to listen to the wisdom of my mother and to obey her in the first place is what caused this problem. And the fact that I’d allowed it to be a pattern in my life had resulted in consequences that repeated themselves as well.

But thankfully, we have a loving and forgiving Father in our Lord! And He STILL blessed me through the process of it all – He kept trying to get me to hear Him over and over again. He never gave up on me. He wanted to teach me to listen and obey. (I chose to develop a phobia  of military hospitals, shots, scalpels, and epsom salts to curb my appetite for getting toe hangnails instead.) So I may have eventually stopped getting hangnails, but I continued to “exert my will” in many other ways throughout my life. I didn’t listen. I didn’t learn. I didn’t change. Not for a while.

Rebellion is ugly, even when it’s veiled in “cute-ness”. And It likes to stick around.

I still fall short of applying all the lessons I should in my life now that I am all “grown up.” But I am trying now…I am seeking God….I am desiring and striving for obedience in my life. I try now to listen and obey, but I am still fooled at times – far too often still.  Sometimes I am still just plain rebellious. But I do listen to God’s voice and try to remember to get back on the right path if I start to stray. I am stepping toward Him now….not the frogs and the mud. I think I may have finally figured out that I have sensitive toes.

Most of my problems in this area are harder to find now…they aren’t as glaring and immediately painful as a big fat pus-filled, potentially gangreen-ous left toe! I have to have faith and trust in Him that He will help me listen to the Holy Spirit who lives inside of me. I have to watch for the warning signs of an impending infection.

Is there anything I might need to confess to the Lord today? Have I been honest with Him about my intentions and motivations? Did I think something that no one else knows that isn’t loving, or pure, or clean? He knows anyway…..but He wants for me to be honest with Him and myself.

Small scrapes and cuts can escalate quickly. We  have to allow the Lord to stop the bleeding right away. Only He can offer the tourniquet of healing truth in our lives.

I have accepted that I have been wired to commit sin in my life, but that I can’t be okay with it sticking around when it arrives. I have also accepted that I  have to keep watch for it when it tries to creep in and cause infection. I have to make sure to keep my shoes on and walk down the right path; not go barefoot when I shouldn’t and step into muddy and germ-laden waters. And above all, I need to confess that sin daily to my Father who forgives and remember that those very sins are paid for by the blood of Jesus.

Doing the right thing is best. Avoidance of sin is even better. But when it bites us, if we get an infection, we have to admit it and get it treated.

There is only ONE Great Physician that I know who can do the job with grace, compassion, and precision – You know who He is too.

Guess what? After bleeding beyond belief for US….so as to SAVE us….Jesus Christ did not get any infections. He rose again, shiny and new, and is more glorious than EVER. That is because He bled for us out of love, not His own sin. He is sinless. He is Holy. He is Pure. Jesus bleed out of obedience to His Father in heaven and love for us. And He lives!

There’s a new doctor in town….actually, He has been around forever. He’s the Tourniquet of Truth and Holy Healer in our lives. He’s the salve for our infections, and He heals all the hurts. He is the Great Physican, who heals hearts and minds. He doesn’t wield a machete, and He is MIGHTY TO SAVE!

I call Him, Wonderful Savior. Mighty God. The Healer of all Men. Jesus, our Lord. He heals all wounds. He makes us whole. And He will carry us – ESPECIALLY when we  like to go barefoot when we shouldn’t.

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” ^{Mark 2:17}

Down but not Out

Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness the Lord will be my light.” Micah 7:8

Grief. Sickness. Fear. Pain. Spiritual Warfare.

Battles!

Confusion. Depression. Anxiety. Closed Doors. Sadness.

Battles!

Anger. Frustration. Sin. Malice. Persecution.

Battles!

Indecision. Missed opportunities. Busy-ness. Finances. Weariness.

All Battles!

Battles have a way of knocking us off our feet. Do you ever get tired of fighting them? Is it hard for you, like it is for me, to get back up? It can be utterly exhausting if we try to wage war against them by ourselves.

As I really let this verse sink in, I think of something my mother once taught me: When you are down, or you have fallen, ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that will happen?” By earthly standards, it is death.There are many dear souls I know that are grappling with that as a very real possibility in their world right now too. But the good news is that for those of us who trust in Christ as our Savior and Lord of our lives, what our world calls “death” is the ultimate “rise” we will ever experience. Thanks be to Jesus!

Most of the time though, we will fall down and then rise back up several times, before getting to leave this earth to join our Heavenly Father. In some ways, that can be even more daunting to think about. It can make the journey ahead and all the ups and downs that go along with it seem long, dark and tedious, to say the least.

So what does that mean for us in the meantime – while we wait to “rise” for the final time; never to fall down again? Is there any light up ahead of what seems like a never-ending road? What shall we do with ourselves every time we fall down? Where is the light to help us face the day?

“The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

It’s hard to be still when we feel we have fallen down – when we are under attack. Everything within us screams, “Get back up!” and “Do it NOW!” But there are times for us to stop everything, take cover, and let God do the work He is best at: Faithful Restoration.

Let’s return for a moment to what we are up against, which should firm up our resolve to move aside and ask the Lord to fight these battles for us:

There is an ongoing battle for all that we are and all we can be in Christ, and it’s a relentless one. Satan is not happy when he sees us moving toward the Lord and the Light that He is. He doesn’t want us to walk upright. He wants us to be down and to stay there. The faster we bounce back up, the more arrows he orders to come our way. That is just one of his strategies in this war. And make no mistake, he will never stop until the Lord puts an end to it once and for all (which He promises He will do – read Revelation!)

Marry that knowledge to our very real, sinful nature, along with the iniquities of this imperfect world, and we are bound to fall down throughout our lives – multiple times.

We can also fall down out of complete and utter exhaustion – from getting so busy we don’t stop to allow the Lord to restore our souls, fill us with energy, renew our minds, our bodies, and our spirits with the fullness of Him. Spending time just being still in His presence is vital to our health and well-being. Plus, it is something the Lord greatly desires from US. We shouldn’t wait until we fall down to do this. But sometimes we do. I know I am guilty of it – far too often.

NOT SO!!!!.

But the smug and evil enemy likes to make us think that when we are down, we are out. But even in the dark times – even in the times that we fall down – whether it is our own fault or because some arrow has temporarily pierced us; no matter where we are – down or up – we are never out if we trust in the Lord with all our hearts as our one and only Savior. For He is our Protector. He is our Light in the darkness. And He has promised He will never leave us.

When we have fallen down, the Lord is there comfort us and to pick us back up when the time is right. He will shield us, He will rock us, and He will build us back up to what we need to be in order to continue our earthly journey.

But He wants for us to linger a while so he can heal us, cleanse us, and give us renewed strength to face the continuing days ahead. His wings are mighty enough to cover us in all times – the times in which we are strong and upright, and the times where we have nothing left within us and we have fallen down in despair.

The Lord is faithful in all things, and we especially need to crawl beneath the shelter He offers to us in the times where we are under attack. This is the safest place to be by far. And we need to trust in Him and His perfect timing before we re-emerge into battle.

When we come to the Lord to take us in and offer refuge, we truly are not hiding at all. For there is light there in that darkness, and nothing can put out His glorious light. He tells us a lot in His word that His light shines all the brighter through the darkness and our weakness. If we remain calm and avoid panic, His strength can be made perfect.

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:5 ESV

Let the Lord be the place that you linger – when you are up and when you are down. Let him blanket you in His light, His strength, and His power. Don’t come out until you are ready, refreshed and fully restored.

Better yet, we could choose to bask in His presence every single day, and move aside for HIm fight our battles for us from the very beginning!

It’s hard not to want to be “let out” when we feel we are in the dark or in a place of rest. But we can revel in the fact that we will not be alone during troubling times and the Lord will not allow us to abide in the dark alone. We can rest in the assurance that He is preparing us to emerge all-the-stronger. He will not shut us out – not ever.

In our “down” we are still IN HIM.

He asks us to accept the fact that there will be dark times, even to be content with that, for He is with us then, just as He is with us now. He also asks us to place our hope in Him and all that He wants to do for us when we remain tucked away in His presence.

⁵ Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”Hebrews 13:5

I am so glad to know that the Lord, our God will never leave us. My only concern is that if I crawl beneath those wings and get too comfortable, I shall never want to come out.

Maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

Maybe that’s what it is to be ALL the way in.

In HIM.

Tang Toungled!

Whenever someone tries to say something and it comes out wrong, my husband likes to say “Is your tang toungled?” It makes me laugh every time. I always stand amazed at the fact that he can say that without getting it all mixed up –  Ha Ha! Just the other day, he was saying it to my son, whose tongue got all tangled up multiple times throughout the day. It has happened to every single one of us at one time or another.

I was thinking on this when I was reading about the power of our words in the Bible later on that evening. That power can be deadly, or it can be something quite glorious.

• “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” Proverbs 18:21
• “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit”  Proverbs 15:4

Most of us already know that we shouldn’t speak harsh words to one another. Many of us do our best to be careful about our word choices and try not to hurt others by saying mean things. Although some don’t, a lot of people try to abide by the old saying, “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” This is true, and it is good for us to guard our tongues in many situations. We should think twice about what is about to come out of our mouths if we think it will be something biting or hurtful. But most of the time I think we CAN think of something nice to say. I really do.

As I was praying about the power of the tongue, I couldn’t help but hear God’s voice tell me that striving not to say MEAN things just isn’t quite enough for Him – that alone won’t help us to really live out God’s command to love others to the fullest. We are actually called to do far more with our words and our communication than to simply avoid being harsh.

• We are called to edify one another.
• We are asked to actively build each other up,
• God asks us to offer love and mercy to one another
• He wants for us lend our support and help to those in need.
• The Lord wants us to sing praises, and hymns and rejoice with one another!
• And often, this takes opening our mouths.

I can see clearly that I, personally, am far too conservative with coming out and sharing my uplifting and positive comments and thoughts with others!  There is a lot more of value I could say to others to help them rejoice in life – and admittedly, I have just been plain lazy about it.

NOT OKAY.

See, I don’t want to just avoid eating rotten fruit, like the verse says. I think that the Lord wants for us to partake of the good fruit that He offers to us too. If we never say anything nice, there will be no good fruit to offer to others and no good fruit for us to eat either. We just avoid the junky stuff. But we all need actual nourishment. When has starving ourselves ever been the right answer?

The beauty of using our words to edify one another, is that it yields fruit for both the receiver of the kindness as well as the giver.

But the magnificence of it lies in the fact that it glorifies God!

• Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29 ESV
• Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Romans 12: 9-13 NKJV

Wow. This is going to take action. This not only means avoidance of tongue tangling, or refraining from saying harsh things, but also going out of my way to communicate goodness to others with my mouth – with a fervent spirit no less! Whoa.

Here’s some more truth about the tang toungled times in which we live: Technology can be a good avenue for communication, but it shouldn’t be a substitute for real connections made face to face, using our words with other people, and building relationships in which we have to interact on a different level than we do in front of a computer. It takes real interaction with others to edify them, to defer to them, to show affection and brotherly love.

Our world likes to tell us that we are more connected now than we  have ever been, but I beg to differ. Sometimes when things get “easier” we have to work “harder.” I say this as I sit in front of my own computer and blog to you all, but I am more than convicted that I cannot allow this to be a counterfeit of the real and true thing. Thank you Jesus!

Our world likes to tell us lies. Sorry, but it is the truth.

I know that if I can’t find it in within me to say something nice, that it means I need to ask God to purify that heart of mine. He will put more of HImself in there and I can draw upon that to show His love. That’s how it should be anyway – more of Him, less of me. He reminds me again how important the condition of my heart is in yet another section of His love letter to us:

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45

Sometimes, there’s not abundance of goodness in my heart. Sometimes I don’t spend time making sure the stockpiles of treasure there are God’s treasure. He is the only truth, and He is the only light. Only He can fill my heart with all that I need to bring forth any good.

I have no question that if the Lord were standing, physically in front of me, He would actually speak uplifting and kind, sincere words to me with His mouth – He would be generous too. He would tell me something to make sure I know that He knows me – better than anyone else does. He would share verbally how very much He loves me. His expressions, tone, body language, and everything about His message to me would reinforce His words. He wouldn’t be tang toungled, and no cat could ever have His tongue or prevent Him from saying what He wants to say to me – what He really wants for me to know – He would convince me. He would never give up. His actions would match His words. His words would match His actions. They already do.

And this wonderful thing He does for us? He expects us to do for others……………

 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13: 34-35

He expects us to carve this into our hearts. He gives us the power to do so.

Thankfully, Our Father has given us His Word for us to stand upon and learn from -and it shall never pass away. Those words of HIs are worth listening to. Those words of His are worth hearing and following. Those are words of His are worthy of being  lived out – through the years, through our lives, day in, and day out.

So, rather than simply eat my words, or just stuff them back and end up choking on them, I shall ask my wonderful Savior to place HIS words in my heart and move me by the power of the Holy Spirit to share them – actively, readily, and liberally. There is always something sincere and real, that is utterly positive that we can say to someone else – yes, even our “enemies.”

And if we can’t seem to find it? Or if we are at a loss for words?

We just ask, and we shall receive.

Yes….His words are better than ours every day!

“Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.” Exodus 4:12

Brilliance of Hope – It’s Eye Opening!

Another Glorious, God-GivenTruth: We have the gift of hope in Christ Jesus!

How can we really experience the full meaning of hope with our mere human language? We can’t, really. Yet, even though what we can SAY about hope is certainly not sufficient to fully describe it, we can try to understand aspects of it a little bit better when we talk about and ponder it for a while.

Hope:

• To desire something with the expectation of obtainment
• To expect with confidence
• To cherish a desire with anticipation

Pretty simple little bullet points to offer a description of something so completely amazing. Yet they are all spot-on.

Look at the strong words utilized here. Desire. Expectation. Cherish.

And the end result: Obtainment.

Those are not feeble things! Each of these descriptors are strong in and of themselves. They conjure up thoughts and feelings that paint a very powerful picture.  And they are only the descriptions of this wonderful thing we are talking about…that thing we call “hope”.

Hope is powerful. But what is even more critical is what we decide to place our hope in throughout our lives. That can be something that is as tiny as a mouse, or another thing entirely; one that is so very grand that we cannot even fully soak the whole of it in with just our eyes.

The very nature of living a life of hope is obviously active, not passive. Although many times, the realists out there in our world like to scoff at the idea, having and holding onto hope takes a lot of courage. It takes risk, surrender, motivation, dedication and desire. Especially when one places their hope in that which is unseen in our physical realm.

Yet, that which is  unseen is often far more real than the things we can view right in front of us. True hope involves the use of a different kind of vision than what we normally rely upon. Again, we find it to ring true that anything of much lasting value starts within our hearts, and the truth that God has placed there.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is
seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

My Lord in whom I place my hope may not be fully seen with my shabby mortal vision, but I assure you, He is quite real.  He is more real and more true than anything else that I ever experienced. Further, everything that I do experience or see I owe to Him…for He is the Author and Creator of all. He paid for my sin on the cross. That too, is quite real.

By cherishing the hope that we have in Christ, and all of the promises He has made to us, we reap blessings we could never even imagine before we accepted Him as the Lord and Savior of our lives!

In His sovereign and merciful grace and power, He has done nothing but strengthen the hope I have in Him, and reveal Himself to me more and more each day. He has brought more conviction, more confidence, more strength, and more joy into my life since I have looked with great expectation towards Him, than I ever thought possible. The hope I have in Him – it is alive. It grows. He is the living water of my life.

HE is my only REAL hope. Hope in Jesus is massive.

Can you imagine, for a moment, the enormity of it all? If we place our hope in Christ, we are blessed even more in return just for doing so. As if having the hope and the promise of salvation and an eternal life with Him weren’t already enough! He wants to shower us with blessing upon blessing too.

These blessings are realities He brings forth in our lives and are too many to be numbered. We certainly can see, hear, feel, touch, and smell them all. This is one of the great and blessed mysteries of our God and His power….that He can translate faith, hope, and belief in Him to very real and tangible things that are a witness of His existence through us for all the world to see.

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”” John 7:38 

On top of it all, we are given the gift of enjoying things while we live here and await with expectation the day we go home to be with the Lord. The life we have here has been just another one of the Lord’s gifts unto us, and He wants us to enjoy it too. It’s good to hope for some things while we are here on this earth.

• I hope for good health.
• I hope my children will stay strong as they walk through this world.
• I hope that people I care for and love will be comforted through trials, and blessed through joyful experiences.
• I hope my coffee tastes good in the morning, that my hair looks good when I go to work, and that the brand of peanut butter I like to buy is at the store when I get there.
• I hope my husband still thinks I am cute when I am 90.

But as I write this, I realize even more, that these aren’t really things in which I place my “hope”. They are just things that I desire or would like to have….or even think that I need in this life.

It is Him and what He tells me in His word that is truth – and it is in Him and what He tells me in His word that I should place my hope. The hope that HE offers to us is all that we can count upon for all of eternity. Our salvation in  Him, the promise that we will reign with Him forever in  heaven one day, and the fact that He IS the real way, the real truth, the real love, and the real life? Those are the brilliant nuggets of hope in Him that I cling to in life……and they all spill out and rain down from the magnificent and brilliant God that we are privileged to call our Father.

That is the hope we will see fulfilled that will last forever and ever. That kind of forever feels really good to me. It’s the forever that I plan to live out with my Savior and Mighty King.

“And this world is fading away, along with everything else that people crave. But anyone who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 Jonn 2:17

And the things of this world that aren’t faded yet? Remember to look upon those that are true and lovely, and enjoy them.  We just need to remember to focus and keep our vision sharp. There is a lot of false hope out there in our world, so proceeding with caution is a good idea. For what goes along with true hope is trust….which is also something we must do actively versus passively. And placing our trust in the wrong things – the things which are not lasting – making those things our “God” – EVEN the things that seem to be good – well, that can be dangerous if we allow them to be what we look to for purpose and meaning in life.

Lies and deception are a part of reality too. They just aren’t truth.  That doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. I assure you, they are very “real.”

I’ve been there…too many times. I have looked far too often to things in this world to fill me up. And I’ve always ended up running on empty. I’ve lost hope in those situations. That doesn’t feel good. Hope is only a good thing if it’s in things that are good for us and will draw us closer to God! Hang my hopes on Him – that’s going to be what I do.

So, my ultimate and overarching hope is in the only One that is fully true. It’s what I have in the Alpha and the Omega….in my Father God, in the Almighty and Great “I AM”, in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”  Revelation 22:13

Christ IS eternity and He IS God. Our Lord will never pass away. God has always been. God is. And God will always be. Hope in that above all else!

And the best news of all, is that by placing our hope in Him above all else, we are assured that we will get to live with Him for all eternity. For He is “Mighty to Save”. Even if we “pass away” from this earthly life before the Lord comes back for His church (which He absolutely WILL do some day), we will live with Him forever in a new life that will never end.

What greater hope could I ever cherish than that? What more could I look forward to with anticipation? And after all of the promises He has made that have come true, how could I not live with the utmost of  confidence and expectation that all future promises He has made to me will be fulfilled? I’m certainly not entitled to them in the first place…those promises He makes and fulfills are made out of grace – and because He chooses it – they are made out of God’s love for us.

Although hope in Jesus is a choice, to me, it is not a luxury – it’s an absolute necessity. The gift-aspect of it comes into play in the fact that I could not have the hope I have in the Lord if it weren’t for the fact that He chose to offer it to me.

Thank you, Father God, for being my glorious hope! Thank you for offering Your true and Mighty Self to me. I desire You. I cherish You. And I look forward with nothing but utter and complete anticipation and expectation of obtaining the promise I have in You for all eternity. You have already given me the opposite of that which I deserve. You are my Brilliant Hope.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” Helen Lemmel

A Whisper and a Wink

Shhhh……Listen….I have something really important to tell you………

Are you ready? Are you listening? This is going to be GOOD.

Unplug your ears…..Get ready…..You have to hear it ALL….

Open your eyes…..take a moment to focus….You HAVE to see this! You have to hear this one!

Stop…..Be Still…..Really soak this one in……………………………………..

Here it is……ready for it?

And…………………..Drum Roll, please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nemo via pixabay

I have an awesome secret. I am going to tell it to you. I am going to show you so you can help to make it the most un-secret-y secret there is!

Here it is…………………………………………………………………………………….

AND…………………………………………………………………………….

AND…………………………………………………………………………………..

Via © dnsm123.deviantart.com  

Don’t keep this a secret. Share it with everyone. ‘Cause guess what else?

He loves ALL the children of the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They just need to know the secret…………………..

© Copyright Anne Burgess and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons License

So they can say yes.

Wink if you understand.

http://thiselectricheart.deviantart.com (c) Creative Commons License 3.0

Now go out and un-keep this secret!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Change the whisper into a shout. You don’t need any special skills.

         Salvi Pics via Creationswap.com

Paint the picture of truth. Change the wink into a full-on, majestic view.

Photo © CreationSwap/EmmanuelCarizzo

He will give you HIS power. He will give you His voice. He will lend you His vision. He will supply you with all you need.

Photo © CreationSwap/Esther Gibbons

Un-keep the secret. Because forever is a long time. And forever starts now.

Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. Matthew 10:27

Make Him the un-secret. 

To the World!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How will you share Jesus today? Please share your comments below.

If you aren’t already a believer in Jesus Christ as your Savior, and you wish to know more about the wonderful gift He offers us, please go to the home page of this blog and click on the page entitled, “Salvation through Jesus Christ.” There is some wonderful news awaiting you there!

 

**All unmarked images used with permission from Microsoft office and Pixabay via creative commons licensing – no attribution required or otherwise desired.

Blink of the Day – Hug Luv

Aaron

The micromoments in life are where we see God show up in big ways.

My son, Justin is a hugger down to his very core. He thrives on this kind of physical affection and LOVES to give it and to receive it as well. This is probably the primary way He likes to show his love outwardly in life.

Jessica, my oldest daughter, is very affectionate as well,yet has a different boundary and comfort level when it comes to hugging. Bear hugs, tight squeezes, and tickling are not her thing. A soft touch and a kind word are more than substantial ways of showing her some true and genuine affection.

Julia, my youngest, like my husband and myself, falls somewhere in the middle when it comes to physical displays of affection. She tends to go with the flow and accommodate to others when it comes to the hug love stuff. This little buffer provides a sweet balance in our family life.

Today, I got to stand back and watch God show up in the small moments again. These three siblings had a “hug teaching” session with one another, in which they found a way to teach one another how they prefer to give, and to receive hugs. It was such a blessing to be able to be here and watch them find ways to work God’s magic into their hug life while respecting one another’s preferences and boundaries too. I got to watch each of them defer to one another, listen, exchange information, and then “practice.” They each stepped a bit out of their own comfort zones and allowed God to help them compromise to make their hug life more enjoyable.

Who knew that hugging could be such a big thing?

The very fact these wonderful souls wanted to practice their new ways of hugging one another shows just how seriously they take this part of their relationship. They practiced it over and over again and it all ended in a group hug in which I could see that they truly enjoyed just being in one another’s presence. They all, for the most part, are young adults now – no longer small children without many boundaries to speak of – that begin to impede us as we grow older. The fact that they realize we all have barriers, but we are all called to still find ways to tear them down, and invite God to show up? Well, it just stuns me beyond belief and does my heart good.

I am so happy that these children of ours (they will always be our babies) want to continue to make hugging a part of their sibling life together. It not only displays love and affection, but trust and relinquishment of control.

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Our Lord Almighty can be found there – in those spaces – He bridges all gaps and fills every nook and cranny. Even the ones that lie between us in the midst of hugs.

Today I got a glimpse of God in the midst of that hug love my children shared. I am so glad I was there to gaze upon it. I will hold that memory in the album of my heart forever.

A million little glimpses of God can keep Him in full view all the day long – all we have to do is look.

Won’t you share some hug love with someone today?

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Privileged to Pray

Prayer is powerful. But the power is found in He who hears and answers them according to His will.

“For with God, nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37 NKJV

(Another) one of the things that the Almighty Father has put on my heart lately is a desire to grow and develop in my prayer life. Prayer is yet another way we can draw closer to Him, know Him better, and it is an area I have often neglected.

I have been reading a lot in the Bible as to what the Lord says about how important prayer really is, and have been praying to “get better” at praying. (Ha Ha)

But it’s not really getting better that I seek; it’s more about getting real in my prayer time with my Heavenly Father.

It’s about letting go of all of my preconceived notions of how my words should flow, and the order in which I should approach things, and instead, allow the Holy Spirit to guide me and lead me. Oh yah…..the Holy Spirit is part of God, so there’s power there as well –  (funny how I keep temporarily forgetting that!)

Once again, I am called to let go of the perceived power I thought I had of self,  and asking the Lord to provide me with His supernatural power to see more of Him, who He is, and what He’d like for my prayer time to look like.

It’s about asking Him see my heart and feel my heart – not just my words. The Holy Spirit lives in there – so who better to help me than that?

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as  we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26 NKJV

There are three specific things the Lord has placed on my heart lately about prayer. I am still only at the beginning stages of what He will show me through this,  but I am excited about it all and looking forward to seeing His truth.

First, He has continued to bring me back to the blessed reminder of the fact that we actually have a model for our prayer life in Jesus.  I was just reading this part of scripture last night in my devotions, (Matthew 6:9-13) and then tonight at church, it was this same area of scripture that we went over as a community of believers as our congregation focused on prayer together. (God has been doing that a lot in my life lately, and I think it is so cool!)

Rather than saying the exact prayer as it is in the Bible (which we can do if we want to), I see this passage as emphasizing the fact that there are certain characteristics that our prayer life and our specific prayers should display to the Lord:

• We are to pray in reverence to our Father and His Holy Name….in praise of all that He is and all that we are in Him.
• We are to pray that HIS will be done….here, and everywhere, just as it is in heaven. (This means sometimes we don’t get the answers we were hoping for, but He still will always answer – even if that answer is “no.”)
• We are to pray for our needs and the needs of others for the day (according to HIS will)
• We are to pray with the utmost of faith that He will answer us (again, according to HIS will).
• We are to ask for forgiveness and be transparent with Him about what we need Him to help us to remove from our lives (sin = barriers), and ask for HIS power to help us forgive others that have hurt us.
• We are to pray to be delivered from evil…..in our hearts, in our lives, in the world.

Bottom Line: We are to pray with faith, gratitude, and for HIS glory and HIS will to be done. We are to remember in whom the power of prayer lies.

First order of business is always to get our hearts right – this means making sure they are right in relation to others so they can be right in relation to God. It also means approaching the Lord with a spirit of praise and thanksgiving. Keeping the Jesus model of prayer in mind is really helping me with this.

Second, (and this is related to the getting the heart right part of things) the Lord has really been nudging me to get rid of all the things that are hindering my prayer life and time spent with Him. All the distractions, the peripheral cares and worries of the day or the one that’s coming tomorrow, the noise around me and within my own mind, and the seeds of ugliness that I have been carrying around in my heart that impede me from total transparency – they all need to go.

This is probably my greatest challenge. I would ask that you pray for me in this, my friends. At this point, I have been just looking upon the verse I have been reading in the Bible, then stopping, opening up dialogue with the Lord, and then shutting my mouth and being as still as I possibly can. I am not doing a very good job, mind you, but it’s a process.

This is something also that I truly need the supernatural help of the Holy Spirit in, for I struggle immensely with being still any where, any time. If I cannot be still before the Lord, who can I ever be still with? I am convinced that being still is key to being able to listen. And I need to listen in my prayer life much more than I need to talk or be listened to. One of the verses I say over and over in my head all the time is Psalm 46:10…

“Be still and know that I am God.”

I must need that one – A LOT. I thank God for giving it to me.

Finally, I truly have been moved to pray more effectively and more consistently for others. I have been asking for God to break my heart for other people in the world, to deepen my love for them – so that I can approach my prayer for them with a truly pleading and beseeching spirit. I want to be desperate for others out of love for them, and this too, I am not equipped to be of my own power. I need God’s love and an extra-large dose of it for this!

This last thing isn’t only important to me because it is something I have prayed for in my own life – to want to pray for others – but it is important to God. He actually commands us to pray for others. That always tells me that he deems it to be quite a high priority.

“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and right way.”  1 Samuel 12:23 NKJV

It has helped me to realize that it is not only commanded that I come before the throne of the Lord on behalf of others, but that it is a privilege to do so also. I don’t have to be gifted with special “prayer warrior” abilities to have a heart for the people of the world and go to the Almighty regarding their lives, troubles, heartaches, and needs. I can have faith that the Holy Spirit will help me to pray for them, and that the Lord will be glorified as all will be done according to His will, His timing and His purpose. On top of it all, it’s yet another way we get to watch God’s will come to life outside of ourselves, and in the lives of others around us….that too, is so very awesome!

So today, I “share about prayer” and all that is on my heart about it because it is yet another wonderful reminder of the wondrous sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross – which is what is most important in life. Because of the fact that Jesus died for our sins and rose again, the gap that existed between ourselves and God has been closed if we have accepted Christ as our Savior.

Jesus Christ is our ultimate mediator – and He is the reason that we have the privilege to pray. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” 1 Timothy 2:5 NKJV

Prayer is powerful. But the power is found in He who hears and answers them according to His will.

Photo Credit sinna_hime_chan via Fanpop

Queen Be(e)?

If we could be, we might be “Queen Bee”
And rule all over our world –
To protect what is ours, all that’s under the stars,
Our gold and our diamonds, our pearls.

But the riches of earth, they aren’t really worth
much of anything other than strife –
Gems only shine, for just a short time
In Jesus’ love, that’s where we find true life.

His kingdom of love, transcends stars above
Where we can’t ever go the wrong way –
In the midst of His might, our one source of light
I’m so glad we’ll be with Him each day.

Remember who’s King, in His name we sing!
The Savior of you and of me.
As co-heirs with Him, not subjects of sin
In Christ, we can reign with the King!.

And if you ever wonder, when you hear heaven’s thunder
Who is ruling over earth, land, and sea?
It’s our Lord over all, all that’s big, all that’s small
And with Him, true royalty, we shall be.

 

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:16-17