One Opportunity at a Time

The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both.

1 John 4:21  The Message

Through his example, Jesus shows us how to love one person at a time.  Jesus could only physically be with one person or group of persons as he walked this earth in his human body.  How did he love?  He didn't spend all night make to-do lists of which people he would show love to the next day.  He didn't have some kind of prioritization grid through which everyone who wanted his love had to pass.  He simply loved people as the opportunity arose during the normal traffic patterns of his life.....Consistent love can only be expressed one opportunity at a time.

  The Relationsip Principles of Jesus, Tom Holladay

During a conversation with some friends at lunch on Christmas, we discussed how many folks I know on the road on which I live.  I meet and talk with them as I walk (which I like to do as often as possible).  Sometimes it's just a quick hello but more often than not, the conversations turn to family or recent events in their lives.

I had a full day of cooking ahead since we planned to have our "big" family dinner the day after Christmas, but felt the need to get outside for a brief walk that morning.  Usually, my walk is with Zoey, Kelsey's dog, toward the farm at the end of the road.  That morning, I decided to walk the other way since Zoey was snuggled up with Kelsey, who was sleeping late.

As only God could do, I ran into a neighbor that was outside moving dirt to make a new driveway beside his house.  I asked him the question that most of us would ask the day after Christmas, "How was your all's Christmas?"  When he answered "terrible", I was caught off-guard.

Sadly, his sister who lived in Georgia was murdered by her husband.  His brother discovered her body and the body of her husband (murder-suicide) the weekend before Christmas.  Oddly enough, I had already heard this story at a gathering on Christmas day, but did not know that it was the sister of my neighbor. As our neighbor recounted the story, I was moved to tears (as anyone would be).  When I asked what I could do for them, he said, "just pray that we will be able to make it through".  God taught me long ago to never walk away from a prayer request, so we prayed together with the dirt-moving machine running right in the middle of the road.

I don't think it was a coincidence that I felt that little nudge to take a walk that morning.  I know that God wanted to pour out His love to my neighbor that day. It had little to do with me (How could I possibly say or do anything that could console someone at a time like that?) but had everything to do with God using me to be his hands, feet and heart.....one opportunity at a time.

Dear Lord, Help me to recognize those opportunities that You provide each and everyday to share Your love. Help us to give way to Your love in our lives so that it can be given to those we meet everyday.  Immanuel-God with us!

He Never Gives Up.....

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me,your right hand will hold me fast.

Psalm 139:7 - 10

Once there was a little bunny who wanted to run away.

So he said to his mother, “I am running away.”
"If you run away,” said his mother, “I will run after you.
For you are my little bunny.

This passage in Psalm 139 always reminds me of the book by Margaret Wise Brown, The Runaway Bunny. I loved reading this book to my girls when they were younger.  I have to wonder if the author had this passage in mind when she wrote the book because it is a wonderful analogy of how God pursues us, no matter where we are in life.

This morning while I was reading Ann Spangler's devotional, Praying the Names of God, I ran across the fourth century prayer called St. Patrick's Breastplate:

Christ be beside me, Christ be before me,

Christ be behind me, King of my heart;

Christ be within me, Christ be below me,

Christ be above me, never to part.

Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand,

Christ all around me, shield in the strife;

Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my sitting,

Christ in my rising, light of my life.

Christ be beside me, Christ be before me,

Christ be behind me, King of my heart;

Christ be within me, Christ be below me,

Christ be above me, never to part.

Check out this beautiful rendition by Angelina: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJx_Lu4PymE

Dear Lord, thank you for never giving up on me and pursuing me throughout my life.  Help me to be aware of your presence as I pray the prayer above....Immanuel... God with us.

Just a Few Words....

The things we truly believe emerge day-to-day. It’s the conflicts over who makes the coffee, who cleans up the mess, who gets to go home early, or who gets the biggest piece of pie that test whether it is Christ who lives in us or if we’re still saying, “It is I who live.”

Growing with Purpose: Connecting with God Every Day, by Jon Walker

While I've had one of the best Advent seasons I can remember, Big Red is working hard to divert my attention to one small statement that I read on a facebook post. 

I've struggled over the last couple of years with feelings of being left-out of gatherings or events with people that I considered as friends. Those struggles have resulted in many sessions in prayers of forgiveness as well as lessons learned about being friends with those that might feel the same as I.  As a result of my prayers, God has sent people to me that have filled my heart with love and compassion in ways I could never imagine.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throught the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  1 Peter 5:6

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

So, as I begin this day, I will declare that God orders my day and is in control of my schedule. And, that Big Red will not win by using words to divert my attention (he is always scheming in ways that infuriate me once recognized)!

Thank you, Lord, that you have won the victory over evil. Thank you that we are not fighting flesh and blood (each other) but our struggles are with the evil one and that we have, with the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, the means to overcome.  Help us to relinquish control of our lives (schedules) to those things that you would have us do. Amen

Immanuel, "God with us"—Jesus is the greatest of all the promises of God. In him God's promise to dwell with his people is fulfilled in a way that is more astonishing than anything we could have imagined. But there is more. We are not only to dwell with God but to be indwelt by him through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Praying the Names of God, Anne Spangler, December 18th http://www.crosswalk.com/

In whom you, with the rest, are united together as a living-place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:22

Why does it feel so good to have everyone (family and/or friends) together in your home at the holidays?  What is it about their presence that gives us that feeling of warmth and happiness?

Most of those feelings come from reconnecting (usually through direct conversations) with those whom relationships are important or with those that we have shared some life experiences.  Those connections  and conversations strengthen our souls and give us a sense of belonging. 

I find that if we take the time to be "present" in conversations with others (whether family, friends or strangers), God uses His Holy Spirit to connect our hearts in ways we never imagined.  We can share God's love with others without even knowing it. 

There's been many times over the last several years that God has allowed me to leave a conversation or the visit with a friend with that feeling of warmth and fulfillment.  I have learned (through God's guidance) to slow down and keep my attention on the conversation at hand as well as be "present" without distractions or allowing my mind to race foward....I think some may call it "being in the moment". 

Not only can we have those moments with others (earthly beings), but God allows our hearts to connect with Him through the same type of experience...prayer. 

Immanuel, God with us, help me to be the living-place of Your Holy Spirit as I slow down and allow your Spirit to connect me with those that need to feel Your love.  Keep me mindful that You desire to be in a loving relationship with me through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

So, what present do I give Jesus?

I have been challenged to be more intentional about preparing my heart for Jesus during this Advent season. Over the past several weeks, He has been faithful in answering my prayer to give me opportunities to share His love.  As I review each day at night before I drift off to sleep, I have been blessed by recounting the day's activities and those times that were clearly orchestrated by God in response to my prayers.  Spending the night with a friend going through a divorce, a precious conversation with a elderly lady as she recounts some  memories of a friend that has just passed away and an opportunity to serve a group of ladies that are not in my circle of friends are just a few of those opportunities that have come my way.

As Christmas day quickly approaches and I finish my shopping for family and friends, I am challenged this morning to give thought and listen to what will be MY gift to Him. As only God can do, I am led to the following passage in Micah 6:6-8

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?  Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?  Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?  He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  

After giving my heart to Jesus forty-four years ago, I will ask Him to help me offer these three as my gift to Him this Advent season. 

No Vacancy

There remains then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.  Let us, therefore, make every effot to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.  Hebrews 4:9-11

Observing a Sabbath rest makes us stop and in so doing contributes to our health and well-being. The commandment to rest reminds us that God created everything in six days and rested on the seventh day. If this is good enough for God, the injunction implies, surely it should be good enough for mere mortals. It also serves as a reminder to live humbly. We are not God. We are not called to "do it all." Albert Scariato, The Washington Post

see full article

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/faithandhealing/2009/03/rest_a_pathway_to_physical_and.html

After an afternoon with my girls at the movies and then home for them to assemble the nativity (a yearly tradition), I realized that each of us had made a choice of what to do with our time.  As their mother, I was overjoyed that they had chosen to spend several hours with me.  With Kelsey in school and Caitlin with a life of her own, I realized that the choice to be together came with many sacrifices, which made it all the more special. 

Not only did we laugh and cry together (thanks to the movie), but I believe our souls rested in the love that we shared with each other. And, with that soul rest comes some actual physical results.  Those of you that in the medical field know that when our bodies are at rest, healing happens. 

So, how can we experience that healing for our soul without entering a Sabbath-rest?  For me, it's not a destination, but a journey...I like the way The Message translates this verse....

So, let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest.

Dear sweet Lord, help us to take time during this busy holiday season to experience the healing that happens when we rest and abide in Your love. Help us to make room in our hearts for You. Amen

Dancing Before Jesus

David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might,

while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord

with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 

2 Samuel 6:14

Worship with abandon is an intimate experience. A Heart Like His, Beth Moore

I love to watch people dance!  Obviously, from the ratings of shows like Dancing With the Stars, so do lots of others.  We've all watched with amazement how groups of people from all walks of life (yes, even a group of prison inmates) danced to Michael Jackson's, Thriller.  Ballet, jazz, swing, ballroom, hip-hop...it doesn't matter-I'm drawn to the way that the human body responds to the music.

So, if God made us in His image, why shouldn't dancing be a form of worship? There are several references to dancing in the Psalms. Growing up in a Baptist church, we were discouraged from dancing, which could explain my being drawn to that form of artistic expression.  But, as I worshiped God this morning, I imagined Him dancing with me...and then all those in heaven dancing together...using their bodies as a form of worship to the Holy One. 

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a Prayer conference in South Alabama.  Since many of those in attendance came from a more charismatic church, the worship was much more expressive.  One of the songs they sang was, Dance with me, O Lover of My Soul.  As we sang together, with many dancing in worship to the Lord, I experienced a time of worship that was very intimate and moving.

Dear Lord, open my heart and mind to express my worship to you with abandon...

using my whole body.  I thank you for creating music of all kinds that draws us to worship You,

our Lord and King (and possibly, dance partner).  Amen

Dance with me, O lover of my soul, to the song of all songs

Romance me, O lover of my soul, to the song of all songs

A Little Bit of Faith

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men,

so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1, 3.

I can’t help but think that these great cloud of witnesses were cheering and praising God this past Sunday during worship at God's church at Faith.   Because of God’s faithfulness and the perseverance of many, we’ve stayed in the “race”.

As I filled out a survey (Natural Church Development) to get a baseline for His church at Faith required by the conference, I couldn’t help but recall how far the church had come over the last couple of years. It was a joy to mark many boxes on that survey as “very much agree”.

In worship, not only did God honor us with His guests, but our worship was united as many shared the things for which they were thankful. We heard about answered prayers, healed bodies and God’s provision. I couldn’t help but recall the verse that was used often by the ministry group, Proactive Evangelism Ministries, during the two years of assisting Faith to overcome the battles with the enemy:

They overcame him (the accuser) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. Revelation 12:11a

The Holy Spirit continued to move the hearts of God’s people during prayer time. Our pastor, Amelia, asked us to write down something for which we were thankful that was personal or private and couldn’t be shared in public and then place those notes at the foot of the cross that was at the front of the altar. The response was incredible! I can still see all of those yellow paper notes lying at the bottom of the wooden cross. And, the visual of two men embraced in prayer at the altar as one ministered to the other after the loss of his wife, was one of the most worshipful sites I’ve ever seen.

God continued to draw us to Him with His message, “Abundance or Scarcity”. Using John 6:5-12, Pastor Amelia pointed out that Philip was operating from a mindset of Scarcity, “Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”, but God wants us to use the mindset of Abundance, “Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.”

As I give thanks for so many things in my life, I am especially thankful for God’s faithfulness to His church at Faith. Thanks to the dedication and perseverance of the leadership there, we are able to join together and continue to serve Him as we Love God, Love Others and Share God’s Love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Prayer for Rich

My nephew will be deployed in February to Iraq.  His service to our country is a calling from God in his life.  While many of our family will gather at my Mom's house for Thanksgiving to see him and wish him well, God has placed a burden on my heart to gather at His throne of grace to pray for Rich and his friends that will be serving together. 

God used the words from the song, The Only One (The Holy One), by Caedmon's Call  to speak to me:

Lord, You are my Prince of Peace
But this war brings me to my knees
See, there's a table You've prepared
And all my enemies are there
But Where my Shepherd leads
Where else can I go?
Who else fills my cup 'til it overflows?

Interestingly, I found the following information about Psalm 23:5:

This verse (Psalm 23:5) was a favorite in London at communion services during World War II, when the bombing was at its peak.  In one instance a bomb hit a section of a church building while the worship service continued.  The Christians prayed while German bombs dropped, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

  J.R.P. Sclater, The Interpreter's Bible,1955, Vol 4 128

In his book, Falling Into Greatness, Lloyd J. Ogilvie, describes seven things that the Lord promises through Psalm 23:

1. The Lord will work for me.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.

2. The Lord will provide for me.

He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.

3. The Lord will keep me going.

He restores my soul

4. The Lord will guide me.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

5. The Lord will protect me.

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.

6. The Lord will heal me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

7. The Lord will pursue me.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

There is no greater honor or humbling of spirit to be called into God's presence to pray on behalf of someone else.  Thank you, God,  for these seven promises from Your word that I can use to pray for Rich and his friends. Instill the perseverance and dedication in my life through the work of Your Spirit to be faithful to this calling. Amen

Shouting for Specifics

When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!..... "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.  The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

Mark 10:47-51

As I read the story of Blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10 and then the story of the blind beggar in Luke 18, I am initially struck at the boldness of both in shouting for Jesus.  Both used the name for Jesus, Son of David, referring to the tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great healing powers. They also had to shout loud enough to be heard over the crowds, bringing attention to themselves and their plight. 

Ancient people believed that blindness was the lowest degradation that a person could endure.  Together with cripples and lepers, blind people were the outcasts of society.  Most biblical incidents indicate that they were relegated to being beggars.  Their place in society and the utter hopelessness for recovery, heightens even more Jesus' concern for them. Blindness in the New Testament, Biblical Illustrator, Gil Lain

Jesus' words, "What do you want me to do for you?" burns in my heart.  While I can be very superficial and spout out a litany of requests, Jesus' question begs for me to risk bringing attention to those things in my life that keep me blinded to the life he has called me to live.  Dare I be so bold and shout to the Son of David, exposing myself to the crowds of people around me?

The healing that happened to both men resulted in immediate praise....how could I not risk myself so that God's healing in my life would lead me to praise in a way that is uncontrollable?  In the passage in Luke 18, God's healing initiated praise among those that were witnesses to God's miraculous healing.  Am I willing to live in bondage and brokeness and keep others from seeing God's work in my life? 

Jesus, Son of David, give me the courage to open myself up to your miraculous healing despite the risks of bringing attention to those inadequacies in my life.  Help me to be honest in your question to me, "What do you want me to do for you?" 

Coming to Our Senses

In preparation for leading a Spiritual Transformation weekend with Proactive Evangelism Ministries in Florida, I listen for God's direction in the story of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15: 11-32.   While this is probably one of the most familiar of the parables, there is a phrase from this passage that draws my attention today from all the rest- "When he came to his senses". 

Dr. Eddie Lawrence, in his book, Breath of God, says ....

Often these light bulb experiences are occasions when God speaks to us.  Such an experience can be called a defining moment, an epiphany, an awakening, or a revelation.  These are times when our minds get an understanding of what our spirit has been yearning to tell us....Life is so much more spiritual than most of us have imagined.  When our eyes open to this possibility and our hearts become willing, God draws us nearer and nearer.  He always moves to the place of willingness wherever He sees it.

God started bringing me to" my senses" several years ago when he placed a yearning in my heart for more in this life..."open the eyes of my heart, Lord" became my prayer. 

The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge was one of the books that thrust me into a journey of a deepening relationship with God that has been beyond my wildest imaginations. The back cover of this book describes the journey as...

From childhood on, something or Someone has called us on a journey of the heart.  It is a journey full of intimacy, adventure, and beauty-but like any fairy tale it is also fraught with more than a little danger.  To ignore this whispered call is to become one of the living dead who carry on lives divorced from their most intimate selves, their heart....It is His (God's) invitation to experience His unfathomable love for us.

Because of His love and mercy for me, God has brought me to a place in this life that allows me to slow down and come to know Him through His word and conversation.  It is a way of life that challenges me to become all that God has for me...restoring me to the way He originally created me to be...in His image.  

The passage in Isaiah 61 is one of hope and restoration that calls all of God's people to be delivered from the bondages of this world that we currently live in....

to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and realease from darkness for the prisoners......to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who greive in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

Dear precious and loving Lord, thank you for never giving up on me and bringing me to my senses.  Thank you for leading me to a place where I can hear your sweet Spirit whispering to me that there is more...an abundant and fulfilling life of being all that you created me to be.  Use your Holy Spirit to continue this process of transformation until I see your face and stand in your Presence for eternity.

Breathing Space

At first the churches were breathing spaces: not all of them, not everywhere, but the only chance to find a bit of space as a normal, non-intellectual and non-famous person, was in these church meetings. These were not revolutionaries, they were people who kept to their faith despite the disadvantages that came with it: marginalisation, being blocked from promotion at work, their children not being allowed to study, the suspicion or even the knowledge of being surrounded by IMs (unofficial collaborators with the political police in East Germany) who posed as friends. The churches became the place to assemble, to talk about social, political and environmental problems and formulate them as prayers.....But for the years before the fall of the wall and during the dramatic days in November 1989, the faithful joined hands to change the world.

Read the rest of the blog, We are the People, Bern Hagenkord, SJ @ http://www.thinkingfaith.org/

Struggling with a respiratory illness this week has brought to mind the importance of breathing and being able to have full access to the oxygen that our bodies need to function at full capacity.  As the world celebrates the fall of the wall in Berlin, we, in America today, have experienced little of the oppression that has been faced by people of faith throughout history.

I found it so interesting that the author used the words "breathing spaces" to describe the body of Christ, His church. Can we say the same thing about His church at Faith....do we provide breathing space for those that are smothered and suffocated by life and the things of the world?  How do we help each other formulate all those things that are weighing us down into prayers? Can we access the power that comes from joining hands in prayer and not only changes our lives, but our world?

"It is the precious presence of the Holy Spirit moving and flowing through our lives that releases the fragrance of Jesus Christ into the nostrils of the hurting world surrounding us." 

Breath of God, Dr. Eddie Lawrence

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 

Acts 17:24-25

Thank you, Lord, for breathing your breath into me when I was created and the breath of your Holy Spirit when I accepted you into my life.  Help me to surrender myself to the work of your Holy Spirit in my life so that I can be the fragrance of Jesus Christ into the nostrils of the hurting world.  Help your church at Faith to provide breathing space to all those guests that you send to us. Amen

How Bold Are My Prayers?

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:16

In him and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence.  Ephesians 3:12

"Parresia (confidence, boldness) is possible as the result of guilt being removed by the blood of Jesus Christ and manifests itself in confident praying and witnessing."

I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. Luke 11:8

The word (boldness) describes brazen persistence displayed in the pursuit if something.

As I told the story of Rebekah to the children at church last night, I was struck at the boldness and directness of Abraham servant's prayer:

O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.....May it be that when I say to a girl, "Please let down you jar that I may have a drink", and she says, "Drink, and I'll water you camels too"-let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac."  By this I will know that you have shown kindess to my master.  Genesis 24:14

And earlier in the week, I read the story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel-talk about bold and confident-even brazen, as he taunted the prophets of Baal!

O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.  Answer me, O Lord, answer me , so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.  1 Kings 17:36-37

Yesterday, God confirmed, once again, that He has given me the gift of Faith as one of my spiritual gifts. 

"The divine ability to recognize what God wants done and to act when others fall back in doubt.  Even in the face of barriers that overwhem others, people with this gift simply know that God will see it done.  Believing deeply in the power of prayer, they also know that God is both present and active in their lives.  People with this gift, by their works and by the words, show others that God is faithful to God's promises."  Serving from the Heart

Knowing that I have been given this gift, how bold and confident am I in my conversations with God?  Honestly, many of my prayers sound more like a parent begging a child to be obedient to their requests, "Pretty please". 

God has given us the Holy Spirit that intercedes on our behalf when we pray...we've been set free of guilt by the blood of Jesus....the victory has been won.....that calls for boldness, confidence, hutzpa as we approach God's throne in prayer! 

That makes me want to shout out the words, FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY FOREVER!

Lord, please help me to listen to your direction as I pray.  Help me to exercise my gift of Faith and come to you with boldness and confidence, knowing that you hear our prayers and are faithful to answer.  Amen

Overwhelmed by Blessings

Within a very brief conversation with Norman this morning, I became overwhelmed with emotion of the blessings we enjoy-blessings of prosperity, health and family.  I have had many reminders of those blessings in the last few weeks, as I hear stories from others about hardships their family and friends have faced.  A Mother struggling daily to care for her young daughter with cancer, the pain and heartache of realizing your child has a learning disability that went undiagnosed for three years of school and the effects of poverty and illiteracy in a neighboring family are all situations that are very real and personal in my life.

While I am still at a loss to understand why our family is so blessed, I am reminded of the blessing of obedience in Deuteronomy 28:

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today,

The Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.....

The Lord will grant you abundant propserity-in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock

 and the crops of your ground-in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.

Lord, I am incapable of obedience without the surrendering of myself to the work of the Holy Spirit in my life.  Thank you for your inumerable blessings personally and in my family.  Continue to reveal the areas of my life that I need to surrender in obedience to your transforming power.  Amen   

The Mirror of Intentions

Do not merely listen to the word, and so decieve yourselves.  Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  James 1:22-24

Have you ever taken note of how many mirrors are in your house?  And, how we search for something to see our reflection, if there are no mirrors availalbe, car surface, windows, etc.  Why is it important for us to take a look at ourselves from time to time?  What would be the purpose of taking a look at ourselves, seeing something out of place and then doing nothing to correct it? 

As I listened to the Pray-as-you-go devotion this morning, the scripture of Luke 8:21 reminded me that there needs to be an intentionality about obedience to God's word.  As discussed in Mulholland's book, Shaped By the Word, Wesley's third guidline for approaching scripture is with a "single eye, to know the whole will of God, and a fixed resolution to do it.....an inner decision, down in the center of your being, that whatever God speaks into your life you are going to do." 

Not one of us (ladies) would look in a mirror and see lipstick on our teeth and not rub it off-there's an intentionality to using the mirror to correct.

Dear Lord, change my heart so that when I approach your living Word, I can see your direction for my life and intentionally make the corrections that will set me free to live the life that you created me to live.  Amen

What About My Needs?

How can I account for this generation?  The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, 'We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always to busy'....Opinion polls don't count for much, do they?  The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Matthew 11:16-19 The Message

As I come to this passage this morning, I am challenged to ask myself, "How have I tried to manipulate my relationship with God?"  Many times I have come to Him, expecting, demanding that He "fix" something.  I realize that putting expectations on my relationship with God misses the whole point. 

Reading through Mulholland's book, Shaped by the Word, I am challenged to come to the scripture (His Living Word) as "realizing the text as the matrix of our entrance into relationsip with God, as the context of our opening ourselves to God in loving, responsive yieldedness, and as the environment in which God meets us in vital, transforming relationship and begin the work of speaking us forth to be God's word in the world."

It's not about what I want or think I should be, but what God can be in and through me for the world....yielding myself to His transforming work through His Holy Spirit living in me.

To hear with my heart, to see with my soul
To be guided by a hand I cannot hold
To trust in a way that I cannot see
That's what faith must be

That's What Faith Must Be, Michael Card

Through Different Eyes

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
While I know this verse as well as I know my own name, I've never taken the time to comtemplate the "love" that God has for the world...a love so different that He would sacrifice a life so precious to Him, that of His only Son. As a child of God, I am also called to have that same kind of love for "the world".

But what about 1 John 2:15? Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

It's all a matter of perspective-seeing things through the eyes of God-being able to filter out the evil and see through the filter of the love of God.

Yesterday during prayer time at church, I found God speaking to my heart to pray for protection for Mrs. Ray, the mom of a man in our church, who had been the victim of a robbery in her home twice in the last several months. She is a sweet, soft-spoken, gentle woman-much like her son. As another person and myself prayed for her and for her protection, I was suprised when I started praying for those that had actually committed the crime. Where did that come from? How could I pray for someone who broke into a gentle, kind woman's house?

As I listened to God speaking to my heart this morning through this scripture, He reminded me that the love He was speaking about in John 3:16 is the kind of love that prays for all-even those that break into a sweet, gentle and kind woman's house.

Dear Lord, please help me to continue to see others as You do. Open the eyes of my heart and use Your Holy Spirit to give me the same type of vision of love as You have for "the world". Amen

What's the Plan?

I have a hard time moving forward if I don't have a plan. I'm paralyzed and confused unless I have some sense of how I'm going to accomplish those things that lie ahead. If I'm asked to take on a new challenge, it is imperative that I first get a handle on the purpose and how it fits into the "big picture".

Norman and I had a chance to discuss some future plans on a recent roadtrip this past weekend.  Even though there wasn't specific decisions made, there was agreement on some steps we are going to take to get our personal things in order.  This discussion was precipitated  by the sudden death of his brother, Gene.

As I make this a priority in prayer for our family, I know that God will provide the wisdom and guidance we need as we simplify our lives and use the resources that He has so generously provided.

The scripture presented this morning (http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/) was Romans 8:28-30.  I'm sure many people struggle with the words in this passage (foreknew, predestined, justified and called), but I see it as an awesome plan that God has laid out for his children.

For those God foreknew (My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. Psalm 139:15), he also presdestined (had a plan) to be conformed to the likeness of His son.

How can we be transformed into the likeness of His son without the saving blood of Jesus?(justification).

C.S. Lewis said it best in Mere Christianity-
"Christ says give me ALL.  I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You.  I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill  it.  No half-measures are any good.  I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there.  I want to have the whole tree down.  The moment you put yourself in MY hands, that is what you are in for.  Nothing less, or other, than that.  You have free will, and if you choose, you can push Me away.  But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through. 
Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs Me,  I will never rest, not let you rest, until you are literaly perfect-until my Father can say without reservations that He is well pleased with you, as He said He was well pleased with me.  This I can do and will do.  But I will not do anything less."

Lord, please help me surrender myself to the plan that you have already laid out so that I will be transformed into your image so that others can see Your glory.Amen

Change of Heart

I've wanted for some time to start my blog, but, this morning has brought such a rich time with my Savior that I feel I must write it all down...and so, today starts my journey into documenting the things that God is teaching me on my journey.

I started my time with Him by listening to the daily posts on http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/. The scripture was from Luke 6:6-11-one of many stories of Jesus in the synagogue with the Pharisees and teachers of the law.

As I listened to the scripture, I was reminded of the things we are taught to believe. I have found it very fascinating to listen to the many essays on the NPR broadcast, This I Believe. Through my own journey of life, I have found that many things that I was taught to believe have been challenged as God continue this transformation process. For example, being raised Baptist, I found that I had to overcome a lot of judgement that was deeply engrained.

I had the same thoughts about the Pharisees and teachers in this passage in Luke. They were taught from a very early age about things that should be done of the Sabbath- "They were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they watched him closely".

While I would like to think that I would be more like Jesus in this passage-looking to do good, no matter what day-I'm afraid that most of much of my life might have been spent as the Pharisees and teachers-looking for reasons to accuse .

I know that God is working to change my heart. He called me several years ago to open the eyes of my heart. With that call has come a deep hunger for his Word. I am in the process of studying Shaped by the Word, by Robert Mulholland. It is a powerful book that calls us to approach the scriptures from a formational standpoint as oppossed to an informational one (another way God is opening my eyes).

As I Googled "Change of Heart", I found this wonderful story about Payne Stewart. I know that God had him on a similar journey as He does with all those who become believers.

"Although Stewart grew up in a Christian home, faith was not the focal point of his life. He was preoccupied--even consumed--with achieving success in the world of professional golf. He accomplished many of his goals. But as time went on, Stewart realized that fame and fortune didn't bring him the fulfillment he was looking for. As a parent, Payne wanted to give his children the solid values he had been raised with. Friends encouraged him to take a deeper look at his own faith.

Major league baseball player Orel Hershiser gave Payne some inspirational books to read.
"Payne and I started reading devotionals together," Tracey remembers. "But before long I noticed that he was much farther along than I was. He'd read the Scripture from the devotional every night before he went to bed. He also began reading the Bible. Nobody tried to talk Payne into what he should believe or how he should live out his faith; he simply set out on his own journey with God. The Scriptures themselves were the most powerful influence on Payne's life."Stewart once said, "I'm not a 'Bible-thumper'--I can't get up there on a rock and tell you what it all means, because I don't know. But I'm learning, and I like what I'm learning."

Tracey explains, "Payne was very much a 'Christian in process,' not someone who felt he had arrived spiritually. He never pretended to have the answers and probably didn't know what some of the questions were. But his faith was genuine, and as he understood the Bible, the issue wasn't about how much faith he had but whether his faith in Christ was real. And everyone close to Payne knew that his faith was real."

My prayer today is that God would continue to change my heart-David said it best in Psalm 51:10-

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I know that can only come through the work of the Holy Spirit as I continue to surrender myself to that transformation of becoming more like Him each day. Amen