What's in Your Heart?

We were on a two week family vacation when I was in ninth grade. This poem was framed and hanging on the bathroom wall by the toilet. Years later I still had it in my mind and decided to cross-stitch the poem. It’s a good poem to think on.

A few years ago God clearly spoke to me through Zechariah 7:10
… In your hearts do not think evil of each other.

Ouch! But, you know what? When I read this verse there was this deep conviction and I sensed God calling me in this. Not condemning me, but inviting me to be aware of what my thoughts were towards others. To recognized those negative thoughts aimed at my husband, children, family members, friends, strangers.

I began to ask God, “Why am I thinking evil of this person? Why am I nursing this grudge or why am I bitter about that? What am I believing that holds me in negative thoughts when I am called to think differently?" He shows me and leads me into truth. It's an ongoing process, and one I delight in walking with Him because He is so gracious and loving.

“…whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].” Philippians 4:8 (Amplified Bible)

My prayer is that I would operate out of an attitude of thankfulness and praise to God. If my heart is full with recognizing God’s goodness, love, and the grace He showers on me each day, those negative or evil thoughts won’t have the ground to take root in my heart.

God is working....

Sometimes when our lives seem out of control, we fail to realize that God is working His plan for our lives. We may be devastated by circumstances around us but God is in control. Job 5:9 says,

"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted."

While reading the Pastor's Bible, I came across the following story and excerpts.

These words remind us to be open and alert to God's varied and unusual ways of aiding and working on our behalf when we are faced with unwelcome change.

The story of the sole survivor of a shipwreck illustrates and teaches a spiritual lesson. In the 17th century, a sailing vessel crossing the Pacific was battered and broken by a fierce typhoon. The one and only survivor managed to land upon a small, uninhabited island. He was able to do this by desperately clinging to a wooden beam from his ship. After much trouble and considerable effort, he built a crude hut where he placed all the belongings that had washed ashore from the sinking ship. Each day, he prayed to God for deliverance, and he continually scanned the ocean horizon to hail any ships that might pass by. One day, upon returning from a search for food, he was horrified to find his hut in flames. Everything he had was gone. Feeling that things could get no worse, the man looked toward heaven and cursed God. About three hours later, however, a ship arrived, and the captain said, "We saw your smoke signal."

God helps us many times in the most unexpected way... sometimes, in the midst of despair it is hard for us to see what He is doing... yet, He is always there... There are several things that we can do during these times....

... In times of despair, ask God to give hope.
... In times of darkness, ask God to pierce that darkness with light.
... In times of weakness and fear, ask God for enough courage
to take the next step.
... In times of confusion, ask God for clarity of mind.
... In times of pain and torment, ask God for peace.

God is our hope, our strength, our protector...

A New Day

Are you ever glad to close your eyes on a day and say, "Thank goodness, that's over"?

Do you ever wake up and say, "Didn't I just do this yesterday?"

Sometimes...I wake up tired. I get frustrated when things don't work the way I want them to. I get anxious and worried about things I don't have any control over. Sometimes, I feel lonely and insecure. When I'm already discouraged...and I focus on myself....all I can see are the things I don't like about myself or others, my short-comings or my failures. It's a dangerous path to get lost on.

My heart begins to doubt that God is who He says He is. I think my life is hopeless and God can never use me. I forget what I know is true and I miss the opportunity to see and experience God working in my heart and life and His wonderful ability to change something not beautiful into beautiful.

Sister.....if you are feeling down today....take inventory of the thoughts in your mind. Write them down. Throw out all the ones that are not true and that don't line up with the Word of God. Soak your weary heart and mind in the refreshing and life giving words of God's truth. Go to another sister that you trust and ask her to pray for you and help you sift the truth from the lies.

This is a new day. God has made it fresh. You may still feel a little bit of the winter blues....

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

Lamentation 3:21-23

He Knows

Exodus 2:23-24 “During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.

And God heard their groaning,

and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.

God saw the people of Israel -

and God knew.”

Sometimes life is too hard, and like the people of Israel, we groan under the burden and cry out for help. Our cries for rescue go up to God. And quite simply, God has not changed.

And he hears our groaning - He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cryand saves them. Psalm 145:19

And he remembers his promises - For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you… was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. 2 Corinthians 1:19-20

And he sees – The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. Psalm 34:15

And he knows - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

He hears you, his promises to you are always Yes in Jesus Christ – amazing! always Yes!, he sees you and he knows.

He knows about your pain.

He knows about your uncertainty.

He knows the desires of your heart.

He knows what gives you meaning.

He knows the things that give you joy and delight.

He knows how to rescue you.

He knows what he’s going to do.

He knows.

He knows.

Sunflowers

My favourite flowers are sunflowers. I remember driving in the Prairies when I was sixteen years old and falling in love with sunflowers for the first time in my life. It amazed me how fields and fields of sunflower heads would all be facing the same way. I couldn’t understand that complexity yet was captured by the bright color and uniformity of the fields. Yellow is not a my favourite color at all but there’s something about these flowers that just light me up.

I wondered why the sunflowers all faced the same way. I looked it up on the internet and it says that only while the sunflowers are in the bud stage do they follow the sun. This is called heliotropism. At sunrise, the faces of most sunflowers are turned towards the east. Over the course of the day, they follow the sun from east to west, while at night they return to an eastward orientation. This motion is performed by motor cells in the flexible segment of the stem, just below the bud. As the bud stage ends, the stem stiffens and the blooming stage is reached. Sunflowers in the blooming stage are not heliotropic anymore, meaning they won’t follow the sun. The stem has frozen, typically in an eastward orientation. The stem and leaves lose their green color.

I went to a memorial service on Friday and there were roses everywhere that represented the love the gentleman had for roses he tended. I thought about my own life and if that were me in the coffin what I would want those around me to be surrounded with. Sunflowers being my favourite flower, I would want to have them everywhere so those coming and hearing why I love sunflowers could be ministered to.

Every time I think about the sunflower I think about Christians and how we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. Sunflowers follow the sun…. we as Christians should follow THE SON. How easy our lives would be if we kept our eyes and hearts turned to where they are supposed to be for daily growth. For the sunflowers, once it reaches the bud stage, the stem stiffens and it doesn’t follow the sun any longer. I know that I can do this in my Christian walk where I get comfortable and don’t think I have any more growing to do so I allow my “stem” to stiffen and not follow THE SON and trust him to replenish and sustain me. I get caught up in a rut or a disappointing time in my life and can’t seem to find my way out to being a light once again… or more importantly, see the light.

As I stood at the graveside on Friday, I thought hard about my own life and my choice of sunflowers to represent my life. I want to be a person that daily seeks God and trusts Him and Him alone for my sustenance. I want my life to represent my walk as I stand with other Christians like the sunflowers in these fields…. Standing together facing THE SON … so we can have our seeds harvested. We use sunflower seeds for so many different sources of food in our life and I want to grow as a Christian so that when I have my seeds fall that they can be a source of spiritual food and life for others. I want my life to make a difference. It’s not going to happen if I just get to the bud stage and allow the stem to stiffen and die. My prayer is that those around me see where I turn my eyes and heart to and see me walk in it.

God says in Isaiah 45:22: "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other."

A song I am reminded of when I reflect on what I wrote:

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.

(To hear a beautiful rendition of this song click on the link below to see a youtube video singing this song. This woman from Hillsongs has such an amazing voice!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2nCYklL_O8 )

Look to THE SON... not the sun.

I'm in Love!

My bladder woke me up last night. When I crawled back into bed I was marveling at how things have changed in my life. Not anything to do with my bladder, but that I wake up talking to God, go to sleep talking to God, and spend my days with my thoughts in communion with God.

It hasn't always been like this. Probably around 12 years ago, when both my husband and my girlfriend would say they talk to God all the time, I didn't get that at all. How was that even possible? For me, if I remembered to "do my devotions" I would think about God. Many times I wouldn't even think to carve out that time in my day to focus on God and therefore, wouldn't even think about Him...for days. So, this concept of talking to God all the time didn't compute.

This was my experience even though early in my life I had known that God loved me, and by faith had received God's gift of love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. I had devoted my life to follow Him and walk in love and obedience... and was walking on that journey. But talking to God all the time - being mindful of Him throughout my day? Hmmm...that simply was not my reality.

As I pondered this, I wondered how this change came about. Like, how could there be such a change without any effort on my part or anything that I could pin-point and say "these are the 7 steps to intimacy with God." I had no answer.

So, I asked God. And He responded, "You're in love!"

I'm in love! Yes...that's it! And as I lay in my bed I basked in that love as I have so many times. Just felt it envelope me like the blankets around me. I'm in love... I'm in love.

A line from a song we sing in church has been in my heart and mind for months now. "I am loved by the King, and it makes my heart want to sing." And I sing, and I smile, and I know it's true.

You know why I'm in love? Because I KNOW that God loves me. It's not simply a statement, fact, or a plaque - GOD LOVES YOU. It's knowing God LOVES me.

This knowing the love of God has been a definite theme with me lately. It's been the prayer for myself, my family, the women with whom I serve, and the women we interact with. It's our prayer for you, the women (and men) who join us at Soul Kitchen.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19

To my writer sisters: Child of God, Satisfied, Sweet Freedom, Pilgrim's Heart

This is what I see in you. You're in love! This is what I hear as you write. I sometimes can almost hear you breathlessly saying the words that you write. It's because you're in love with Jesus. The words you write aren't idle words - you're not trying to say something smart or spiritual. You love Him and His words are life to you.

Thank you for loving Jesus. Thank you for sharing that passionate love and committment with me and all of us who read this blog. May we together grow in really knowing the love that God has for us. May we know it so well that the doubts are gone...so there's no more trying to figure it out, "he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me..." We simply and fully know that when the last petal is plucked from the daisy, it's He loves me! In fact, every petal of every flower and all of creation declares, "He loves me!" May we so fully know it and may we so totally love him back.

It's something I see everyday...

... and it reminds me that when I go my own way.... I will... face the consequences. 

Several years ago, when I was a bit more adventurous and had a lot more energy... I went canoeing with my husband and a couple of other friends.  My husband loved canoeing and he really wanted me to go even though I was recovering from a cold and virus.  "All you have to do is sit in the canoe, and I will do the rest,"  he said.  

We were canoeing down the river and having a great time when the wind started blowing.  We could see dark clouds forming in the distance... and knew a storm was coming.  We were in Columbia, South Carolina and knew the dangers of a sudden storm.  It was usually accompanied with thunder and lightening.  As we watched the clouds gathering around us, we knew we had to get out of the water as quickly as possible.  It was  not safe to find shelter under a tree during a lightening storm and we were surrounded by trees, yet, we definitely had to get out of the water.  The only thing to do was to portage our canoe upstream , through the swift current from which we came.   Hopefully, we would be able to reach our car before the storm reached us.

My husband insisted that I stay in the canoe and they would all push it upstream.  As I watched him and my friends,  struggle against the wind,  I decided that,  I... was a burden to them and demanded they let me out of the canoe to help.  My husband, being the protector that he is, tried to convince me that it was too dangerous for me... but, I would not listen.  I got out of the canoe anyway,  and started pushing.  I realized that the canoe really wasn't that heavy... it was the force of the wind and swift current that kept me struggling to move forward.  Still, I was determined not to let them know that I regretted getting out of the canoe, and if they could do it... I could do it. However, it was exhausting and took every ounce of energy that I had, though, I would not admit my weakness.

When we finally reached our destination and I could see the car,  "I was patting myself on the back.  I knew I could do it!"   We could only see the car, though, and the wind was blowing even stronger.  The current of the water kept trying to pull us away from the shoreline.  Eventually, little by little and step by step, I prodded my way through the water until I was able to emerge from being waist deep to ankle deep.  Just a few more feet... we were almost there.  That's when I blacked out and fell face down in the water, hitting my shin over a sharp rock.  I was so weak, I couldn't even stand.

My husband lifted me into his arms and carried me to the car.  He must have been extremely weak too,  yet with every ounce of energy he had left, "he carried me."  He bandaged the gash on my leg and applied first aid.  Five days later, I was still in a lot of pain with my leg and it was not getting better, it was getting  worse.  My underlying fear had come true... after seeing a doctor,  he told me it was indeed, infected.  

My husband knew when we left on the canoe trip what was best for me. "Just come along for the ride and I will take care of you."  But I insisted, or was determined to do things my way Because I wouldn't listen, I wound up with weeks of pain and a scar that I can see 30 years later.  

I have other scars too... the ones left from not listening to God ... demanding my own way.  We all carry those scars...  Isaiah 53:6 says;

"We all like sheep, have gone astray,

 each of us has turned to his own way;

 and the Lord has laid on him

 the iniquity of us all."

And, if we stop and listen, we can hear His words in Isaiah 30:20-21;

"Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity

  and the water of affliction,

  your teachers will be hidden no more;

  with your own eyes you will see them.

  Whether you turn to the right or to the left,

  your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying,

  This is the way, walk in it."

"This is the way, walk in it."

May you walk in faith and love today as you listens to God's  voice of truth...

A Love Song

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

Go to Him. His love for you is more than you can even comprehend.

He is faithful....His word cannot be broken and He will never leave you.

Surrender your worries and your fears to Him....He is there to hold you and protect you....

Seek Him.

Drink deeply from His joy....it will give you strength.

He is your Life...and in His Light...you will see.....

Yesterday, as I was waiting for my daughter to get a coffee at Starbucks, I sat in my car watching people come and go. Parking is limited at this particular Starbucks, and I was in a wide space next to the driveway, because there were no parking stalls available. There are "No Parking" signs on the street and so people circled the restaurant hoping to find a place in which to park their vehicle. After a bit, a big firetruck pulled in front of me, circled around and parked directly beside a fire hydrant.

I thought, Oh, let's see what they do. This could be kind of exciting. Maybe they're going to perform some kind of maintenance check on the fire hydrant. Maybe they'll connect their hose to it and ... whatever firefighters might do with fire hydrants and hoses. Instead, four men in uniforms climbed out and sauntered across the street to Tim Horton's, returning a few minutes later with coffee cups in their hands. Well, I thought, I suppose if anybody gets to park next to a fire hydrant, firefighters do, even to go get a cup of coffee. They have the right, and it's their privilege to park there, even when no one else is allowed to. And who's going to stop them? "Hey buddy, who do you think you are parking in front of a fire hydrant?" Not going to happen.

This made me think of the incredible right and privilege believers have been given to approach God. Through Jesus Christ, we have been granted access to the throne room, anytime, all the time. We can "park" there with confidence because we have been given the right and the privilege. And who can stop us? NO ONE! Remember, we're talking about God here. The Most High God who sits on his throne and does whatever he pleases. And he invites us to come to him openly, anytime, for any reason, with confidence. Who is like our God? No one.

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

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

Wow.

The Crosswalk

We complain about the cross we bear but we don’t realize it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we cannot.

Whatever your cross,
Whatever your pain,
There will always be sunshine, after the rain……..
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall;
But God’s always ready, to answer your call…..
He knows every heartache, sees every tear,
A word from His lips, can calm every fear….
Your sorrow may linger, throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish, by dawn’s early light…..
The Savior is waiting, somewhere above,
to give you His grace, and send you His Love.

May God fill your day with blessings!

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle!

My mom sends little emails with daily inpirations to each of her children. This was one she sent to me last week and it seems so appropriate this week. I have a friend having to say goodbye to her dad dying of cancer, I have a friend who just buried her mother, my dad is not feeling well, and I have my own struggles... and there are so many others who's burdens are also heavy.

I find that awesome to know that Jesus is waiting to give me His grace and send me His love. How has Jesus comforted you?

Restoration

Sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him/her gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Galatians 6:1

God knows us. He knows us because He made us - we are His creation. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our failings. Do you catch God’s heart for us in Galatians 6:1? If God inspires Paul to warn us to restore gently, and that we should be careful ourselves because we can be prone to temptation, how much more then, is God gracious and compassionate toward us and gently restoring us to Himself and His ways?

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 103. I have memorized it so I can have it in my mind speaking to me about who God is and what His heart towards me is as His child. As you meditate on Psalm 103 below, I pray that your heart may be full of thankfulness today for the great LOVE God has for you and for the great things he does and has done for you.

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits –
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

He made known his ways to Moses,
His deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
BUT from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’S love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children –
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
Praise the LORD, all his works (that would include us!)
everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the LORD, O my soul.

Stranded...

...On a life boat... in a river of fear. I've been there... Your mind is captivated by thoughts that completely capture what should be normal control of your body. You can't think straight, you hyper- ventilate... you are grasping... for even a twig of hope.

I felt this last night while talking to my brother on the phone. He was in the hospital several thousand miles away. "I don't know what I'm going to do, Sis... about my wife, about the dogs, (he has 4 of them), I can't walk." The hospital was trying to teach him how to give himself a shot in the stomach to dissolve a blood clot in his leg. He had gone in for a regular chemo treatment when the doctor realized the severity of his condition and sent him for more tests that determined the blood clot. His wife had a nervous breakdown over the weekend and she was in another hospital. I had been talking to both of them regularly and knew his wife was in a fragile condition. My brother has lung cancer... and his body is deteriorating every day... his wife who has medical conditions of her own... can't face the next day without him. It makes your heart race doesn't it... when you grab hold of that fear and hold on to it as though it were your own.

My brothers have been taking him for his chemo treatments... I talk with him almost daily and send money to help... I pray with him on the phone. Soon, I will be able to visit him and encourage him in person. He is looking forward to that visit and so am I. In the meantime, I have to release him to God. It is times like this, when we are fearful, for others and even ourselves that we have to lay everything at the feet of Jesus. God is in control... though everything is chaos around us, He is here, He is there...

Sometimes, we are in a situation where all we can do is pray. Yet, I know that the prayers of many people have encouraged and lifted up the broken-hearted, the hopeless, the grieving, the helpless, the dying...

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7

God is so faithful... Though sometimes, we do not even know what to pray... the Holy Spirit intercedes for us.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but

the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words

cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows

the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the

saints in accordance with God's will.

Romans 8:26-27

Give me your hand....

I can smell the salt in the air....feel the hot sand on my bare feet and hear the crashing of the waves on the ocean shore. Just saying it makes me want to be there. I LOVE THE BEACH.

Growing up near the southern Atlantic Coastline...I spent many a day...riding the waves and playing in the warm...I mean...bathwater warm...surf....stuff I dream about these days.

Playing in the waves...is an interesting thing. The ocean is so beautiful and yet so unpredictable and wild. It can be totally fun and totally scary at the same time.

One time in my adolescent years....we were playing at the beach and I was swimming in the ocean. I was a pretty strong swimmer and felt confident at what I was doing...I'd done it a million times. We were hanging out with family and friends that lived there...and who knows, maybe I was showing off a little bit too. There's nothing quite like riding the waves...I knew I needed to get past the big ones, so I wouldn't get pummelled into the ocean floor....but I shouldn't go too far out so that I couldn't make it back in from the undertow or the current of the tide.

The thing is though...when you're out there....the wave coming looks HUGE and so I'd swim hard to meet it before it peeked and then I'd see the next one and the next one and I just kept getting farther and farther out until I looked behind me and I was really out there. Enough to scare me. So I started swimming as hard as I could back in the opposite direction...not worrying about the waves anymore...just wanting to get closer to shore....

My legs started to hurt and my heart started to panic...I was swimming towards the shore with all my might but I wasn't going anywhere, the tide was going out and I couldn't swim hard enough to fight it...

Then I saw my good friend Randy....swimming out to meet me. He lived there...and understood the ocean. He didn't know I was in trouble...just thought I might be. He grabbed my hand and helped me swim till the waves could push me in and I could get to shore.

Life can be like that...our spiritual journey can be like that. We can head out in a direction and keep going a little farther at a time, thinking that all is well, until we look behind us and think, "How did I get here?"

Where are you? Is there somebody in your life...that needs you to swim out and meet them? Or are you the one...swimming with all your might and not getting anywhere?

Oh Lord, Thank you for being our help in times of trouble. Thank you for being the One Who Saves!

Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? Isaiah 14:27

No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD. Proverbs 21:30

For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. Psalm 33:4

"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." -the LORD in Genesis 8:22

So much for global warming.

Romans 8:28 has been heavy on my heart this past week.... "we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose."

God doesn't promise that it will be good (in our human eyes) but that he works it for our good. I know that there have been many situations in my life where I think I know already what is for my best and God takes me down another road and it goes where I don't want to go because the journey is too tough.

Why is God taking me down this road? Is he wanting me to forgive someone who I don't want to forgive? Is he asking me to seek forgiveness from someone I don't want anything to do with anymore? Do I need to go through a valley of darkness to see the light?.... my heart wants only the good stuff.... I don't want the valleys or the bad things to happen.... God please just take me to the end so I can see your purpose....

... but I won't grow.... without this journey I wouldn't be brought to my knees once again before God and see his love for me.

John 3:16 "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."

God's plans are pure.... they may not take me where I want to journey at the time and the road may be hard. I might have to experience the loss of a loved one, grieve a friend, walk through depression, loose everything like my house and family.... but God's promises remain.... God promises them for our good. It's hard to see when I am going through something the good that will come out of it but I must rest in Him that he knows what is best for me.

Today I'm content to rest in this assurance. Not every day is easy but God's promises are true. He works them for my best!

White as Snow

As I was walking through the dazzling snow not too many days ago, I was reminded that God washes my sin away and makes me clean… makes me white as snow. I’m not talking about the dirty snow piles that are left around town now, but that pure white dazzling snow that almost blinds you in the light. I wondered why God would say white as snow. And I wondered if anything was whiter than snow. I thought of different white items I could drag outside onto the snow so I could compare them… but I didn’t. :) Next time maybe.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18

How does God wash away my sin and make me pure?

As the old hymn goes:
1 What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Refrain:
O precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
no other fount I know; nothing but the blood of Jesus.
2 For my pardon this I see: nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing this my plea: nothing but the blood of Jesus.
(Refrain)
3 Nothing can for sin atone; nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught of good that I have done; nothing but the blood of Jesus.
(Refrain)
4 This is all my hope and peace: nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my righteousness: nothing but the blood of Jesus.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Revelations 1:5&6

In God’s sight we are clean…spotless…pure…white as snow. He sees us through Christ’s righteousness.

And you know what excites me further? To Whom the other references of white as snow refer to.

As I looked, "thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool… Daniel 7:9(look back up at Isaiah 1:18 and note the use of snow and wool there too.)

His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. Revelation 1:14

Reading these same words applying to God/Christ Jesus and then also to us who believe and walk in the light, makes me exclaim “WOW!”

God truly does see us through Christ’s righteousness. What could be purer than that?!
Thank You Father! We are so blessed.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall....

... do you see Jesus in my life at all?"

I wasn't thinking about what I looked like in the mirror several months ago when I was approached by a woman at  a flea market.  My husband had just performed a wedding in Osoyoos, BC, and we were on our way home.  We stopped at an old Elks Lodge that had a banner across the front lawn; "Flea Market and Yardsale" today.  Well, that was all I needed to know... it was "today!"

As I browsed around and looked at "junk" that appeared to have been looked at for years,  a slender- looking woman with long black hair approached me.  She had the appearance of a gypsy or a flower child of the seventies.

"You have gorgeous hair," she said.  I looked around the room, but knew she was talking to me because my husband and I were the only "browsers" in there.  "I noticed you from across the room,"  she said.  "You have a light above your head like a halo; you're an angel... I know, because I'm an angel.  You have been sent here by God to make the world a better place."  She told me that I had a kind face and encouraged me to keep myself strong and healthy.  As she talked to me, I prayed for God's wisdom, for an opportunity to direct her attention and focus on Jesus.  Patiently, I listened but also interjected words of truth, each time hoping that she would see the God I knew in me.

Occasionally the unusual crosses our paths.  Something unexpected, not of the ordinary...  Though, I did not agree with this lady that I was an angel, I could not deny the fact that she had sparked an interest in me;  how I live, what I say, how I treat people.

Pastor Chris challenged us to look in the mirror last week and ask ourselves these questions:

1.  Are you living a holy life?

2.  Are you settling?

3.  Can you say, "imitate me"?

4.  Are you walking according to scripture?

5.  Are you saturating your mind with garbage?

He also challenged us to "press forward;" to go "hard after God."  

My prayer is that we would be devoted to God and pursue Him with our whole being.

Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and He will come near to you.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 

                                James 4: 7-8, 10

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.  No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

                              1 Corinthians 9:25-27

                                                                             

Oh Jesus

The words to a song I love, rings softly in my ears....

"Jesus...Name above all names...Beautiful Saviour...Glorious Lord...Emanuel...God is with us...Blessed Redeemer...Living Word...."

There has never been a love so sweet as the love my Saviour has given me...never a love so complex and intricate, yet simple enough for the smallest child...miraculous really...never a love so Holy and Pure.

Reading in Luke chapter 23 verses 39-43...just moments before my Love sacrificed His life for mine....I see His heart for others, again...

One of the two criminals being crucified next to Jesus, rebukes the other for his words and actions against Jesus while they are hanging there in excruciating pain...I am sure, struggling for each breath and even the energy to speak...then he moves his attention to Jesus in verse 42, 'And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And Jesus...says to him in verse 43..."Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

No magic words....no special prayer....no complicated intructions and rules....

Simply...he recognized and acknowledged the truth of who Jesus is....He believed in Him...and Jesus loved him and saved him.

Jesus says in John 14:6...."I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Jesus is the way. He loves you. He is it. If He hadn't changed my life...and filled my heart with a love so captivating that I can't stop talking about it....I would stop talking about it.

I love Him.

I've told my children that it reminds me of going to a movie. When you get to the theatre....you have to have a ticket. They won't let you in just because you know Bob at the popcorn stand....you can't hand them your Michael's 20 percent off coupon or your winning lottery ticket or even a $20 dollar bill.....when you are at the gate...you have to give the ticket collector your movie ticket. It's the only way in. Jesus is your ticket.

Jesus says in John 10 verse 9, ...."I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he (or she) will be saved...."

Jesus has saved me....He loves me....His love is irresistable....What has Jesus done for you?

You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. A portion of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Lord, once again, I acknowledge and agree with your word... (Declare it out loud with me)

My life is not my own.
For I have died, and my life is now hidden with Christ in God, and when Christ who is my life appears, I also will appear with him in glory.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me and the life I live in this body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me.
For none of us lives to herself, and none of us dies to herself. If I live, I live to the Lord, and if I die, I die to the Lord. So then, whether I live or whether I die, I am the Lord's.
His will for me is good, pleasing and perfect.
I am the Lord's.

You are the Lord's. You belong to him. Christ lives out his live in you. He is the one who works. He is the one who accomplishes. He is the one who meets his need for food, clothes, etc. He is responsible for his life - to carry it out. He is responsible for his life in his body. You are not the owner of your life. He paid for you. You are his. He knows how to live out his life in you. He is responsible to carry out the plans he has for you. He is in charge. And he is so very good.

What a glorious, freeing truth.
Lord, live out your life in me.

What does the year 2009 have in store for me and my family? As I look ahead and trust God with my future, only He knows the plans He has for me and I know this year is going to be another exciting adventure with God. Will I be living in the same house next year at this time? Where is God going to lead my family? Will I be asked to step out of my comfort zone and pack my family up to a town I where I don’t know anyone and start afresh? Will God allow each of my family members to be together in good health at Christmas once again? Where does God want my journey with Him to go?

God has me on a journey I’m not sure where it’s going to lead. At this time last year I was seeking God earnestly and trusting every day… finding ways to point my eyes upward and my heart in tune with His. I struggle with that this very start of the new year and find myself longing for that deep contentment that only Jesus can fill me up with. My journey is the same with Him yet I long for so much more.

God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow… my heart longs for that comfort and trust in His plans.

Philippians 4:6 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

This was a verse I clung to in 2008. I’m being asked to step out and trust others with my private journey and have others pray and encourage me. It’s not something that comes easy when there’s hurt involved but God wants me to conquer Satan and step out and trust that I can overcome obstacles with God on my side. God tells me to not be anxious about anything but by prayer and petition to present them to God…. WITH thanksgiving! Even though I don’t know where my journey with God is going to go I am stepping out and trusting, still clinging to His promises and hand this year 2009 year over into His capable hands. I have days where things seem so bleak and dark and days that it seems the world is one big rainbow. God can and does meet me in those moments and is everywhere!

Where do you think your journey will go in 2009? Can you honestly give God thanks even though the answers are not how you would like them to be?

2009 is Mine

As I lay in my bed this morning in between sleeping and opening my eyes, I asked the Lord about today's blog. What did He have to say to us this day in the beginning of 2009? I felt Him saying, "2009 is Mine."

I don't know about you, but this gives me courage! There have been many situations throughout 2008 where I've been comforted with the thought "God knows." Reading these blogs over Christmas with the snow causing havoc and changing our plans, it's been a beautiful consolation to know that God knows.

Now looking forward to the unknown blessings that will come to us... and the unknown hardships, God says, "2009 is Mine."

God affirms His Sovereignty over and over in Scripture.

"...the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes". Daniel 4:25

"...your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules".
Daniel 4:26

I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
The LORD does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.
Psalm 35:5&6

So in 2009, in the Year of our Lord,

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate, made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time - God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might forever. Amen".
1Timothy 6:12-16

New Year... New Beginnings

As always, another new year brings in thoughts and ideas of new beginnings and a chance to improve our lives, improve our health and improve our relationships with other people. We all have a certain amount of regret that we failed to be the person that we wanted to be this past year, we did not meet our own expectations. We push the pan of God's grace onto the back burner and allow the pot of condemnation to come to a full rolling boil; it's steam filling the air and infiltrating the whole room of our lives. We breathe it in and it saturates us, leaving us with no hope that things will ever change or get better.

Yet, our senses are brought to life by an aroma that can be compared to no other. It has been there all along. Through the mist and steam, we not only smell the aroma of God's grace, we begin to feel it; the peace, the joy, of God's faithfulness that has brought us through unimaginable circumstances and trials that we could not have borne or endured alone.

I am here this day, I breathe, I feel, I love, I touch, I hold... and I am surrounded by God's grace and mercy. Let us not forget how God has lead us through the wilderness but continue to look ahead, knowing that He is there to guide us, protect us and love us. How blessed we are to know this wonderful and awesome God!

"And the God of all grace, who called you to

His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered

a little while, will Himself restore you and

make you strong, firm and steadfast."

I Peter 5:10

My prayer for you this year is Psalm 20

"May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;

May the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

May He send you help from the sanctuary

and grant you support from Zion.

May He remember all of your sacrifices

and accept your burnt offerings.

May He give you the desire of your heart

and make all of your plans succeed.

We will shout for joy when you are victorious

and will lift up banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;

He answers him from His holy heaven

with the saving power of His right hand.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

They are brought to their knees and fall,

but we rise up and stand firm.

O Lord, save the king!

Answer us when we call!"

Do not allow your life to be filled with regret or condemnation but trust in the One who gives us victory through His Son, our beautiful Christ!

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those

who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus

the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the

law of sin and death."

Romans 8:1-2