Readiness......

 

If God just showed up in bodily form at your door, how might you react? We might laugh at the idea, thinking it’ll never happen, or panic because “the house is a mess”.

But because He doesn’t necessarily choose to wear flesh when He shows up, we tend to ignore the reality that He’s here.

What if God announced that He would be showing up at your door tomorrow morning? So, it’s not a surprise visit. What might you do to prepare for His coming?

Would you feel unprepared and ask Him not to come until one day next week (or next month)?

Would you sit up all night waiting on Him? Do you think you’d be afraid or excited? Do you think you’d be nervous or like a child knowing his dad was coming home from a trip that felt a little too long this time?

Would you take the time to make sure everything was clean and in order, or just be so glad to see Him that nothing else mattered?

Would you think you’d have things to hide before He gets there? Or maybe that He’d be disappointed with what He saw when He walked through the door? Would shame rise up within you? Or would your heart be flooded with joy?

Truth is, He shows up at the door of your heart every single day.

Do you notice Him there and let Him in?

Do you not recognize Him and blow past Him?

Are you too busy to even notice that someone is knocking?

When your neighbor comes to the door with a need, do you turn them away?

When a man at Walmart drops his items, do you stare and laugh, or do you kneel and help him pick them up?

When your child is struggling with their homework, do you [try to] help them understand what they’re doing?

When you see a lost child crying at the supermarket, do you console them and help them find their mom? Or look the other way?

When you know a friend is sick, do you pray for them, perhaps send a card, call (or text) to check on her or even take her flowers?

When someone you know is down on their luck, do you visit them or try to cheer them up? Pray with them? Or avoid them because it’s an awkward situation?

When you see someone wronged, do you speak up?

When someone wrongs you – do you forgive quickly or hold a grudge?

When dealing with someone who doesn’t seem to realize how easily you could cheat them, do you?

When your child or friend creates something they’re proud of, do you encourage them?

When your friend writes a new blog post, do you read it? (wink;wink)

“And the King will answer and say to YOU, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”

Matthew 25:40

There are so many little ways we prepare our hearts for the King.

But only He can wash your heart and make you righteous. To be truly ready for His visits, you need to let Him come in and do the cleaning. Open that door right now and ask Him in…….

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Revelation 3:20

 

What a Powerful Weapon

 

(picture from tinybuddha .com)

One of my most powerful weapons is evident in God’s Word. We find it tucked into the book of Philippians, among other places. These are some of my very favorite verses in the Word because of the dark place they lifted me from. I consider them key to opening every treasure in God’s Word. As a matter of fact, I use them as my signature sometimes. They’re even on my address labels.

Philippians 4:4-8.

Rejoicing, no matter our circumstances can change everything about the way we view our lives. I consider this the bazooka in my arsenal. Satan can’t stand against it. There’s nothing he can do about it at all. When he throws his worst at us and sees us rejoicing anyway, he has to know he's a defeated foe. By the way, joy and happiness are not the same thing. Though joy will bring happiness…

It may seem harsh to expect people to rejoice even in their darkest hour, but it’s one thing that allows God’s outreached hand to clasp ours and pull us out. My friend’s daughter was murdered a few weeks ago, and I know the thing that will most effectively help her move forward with God is to rejoice and give Him glory for her life. Of course, I don’t mean to tell anyone they should rejoice BECAUSE OF something that’s happened (or didn’t happen). Or that they should rejoice and be thankful because something or someone was taken from them. But in the midst of those circumstances, we can rejoice in the One Who saw it all from the beginning and knows what to do in the moment and in the next moment. And the next.

picture from wallpaper cave)

I realize you know this. I’m just writing to remind you. No matter how dark a storm gets, Jesus is the brilliant dawn that will arise and take us through tomorrow.

When rejoicing is the last thing we feel like expressing, it’s the best thing to do. It reveals to us (and shows our all-knowing God) that we trust Him, and that we truly do believe He’s good, no matter what’s going on around us. Sometimes in the midst of that rejoicing is where we figure out that we really DO trust Him and that He really DOES love us.

When we’re rejoicing in Christ, I don’t know if it’s even possible for us to worry. For me, once I let the joy bubble up within me, it chases whatever has been trying to rob me of my peace. I think the enemy wants to steal our joy as much as he wants to take our faith from us.

When I read that we’re to let our gentleness be evident to all, I see our gentleness as the opposite of us being defensive; we’re allowing God to defend us, so we can afford to be gentle. Gentle doesn’t mean passive or looking the other way, but actively rejoicing (perhaps quietly, maybe boldly and loud) while we’re trusting that in God, even when our world is falling apart around us. He doesn’t want us to be anxious about anything, but to allow our trust in Him to accompany that joy as it flows out of us to everyone around us. Gentleness includes actively praying and making our needs known to God and doing so with thanksgiving.

(picture from goodnet)

That’s when God’s peace can take us over. By worrying and allowing ourselves to become stressed out and fearful in a situation, we’re actively rejecting and blocking His peace out of our circumstances, leaving our hearts vulnerable for attack from the enemy. God’s peace is above everything and beyond our human explanations. God’s peace actually guards our hearts AND our minds. Those are the very areas the enemy is trying to attack and cause disarray and discouragement and anger and impulsiveness. We need His guard to prevail and overcome.

Whether we’re singing or humming; dancing or laying still under our covers, whether we’re dancing around the room or driving our car – God recognizes our joy. He sees our joy and His peace is ushered into us. Finding ourselves overcome with His peace may even surprise us!  He is always as close as we need Him to be. He never wanders away. He never takes His eyes off of us. He’s never too busy to meet our needs. He never makes us wait for His peace. If we’re not experiencing His peace, we’re the ones denying ourselves that peace by worrying and not trusting Him. He’s right there patiently waiting for our change of attitude. He’s not angry with us because we faltered and doubted. He’s not shaking His head because we’re still trying to do things on our own. His peace is just as patient as His love for us.

(picture from rgb stock)

When rejoicing isn’t spontaneous, we have to ask ourselves what we’re thinking about. What are we dwelling on and mulling over in our minds? Are we thinking on the good things in Life? The good that God is to us? The good gifts He’s given us? His saving grace and immeasurable mercy? Are we thinking about all the provision He’s already lavished on us? Or are we thinking on what’s gone wrong in our circumstances – or what COULD go wrong? Are we mulling over how things could have gone differently, or how we wish we could fix our situation ourselves? Are we imagining the different choices that could have or should have been made? Do we think we’re mentally punishing someone else for something they’ve done? We’re not. If we’re not rejoicing, we’re punishing and hurting ourselves and perhaps making the people who love us feel sad or upset or frustrated with us. This is the ever so powerful verse eight: think on the good things. Simple – but oh so powerful! God’s ways are so much higher than our ways. How can such a simple tool be such a strong tool? It’s so easy to think on good things, unless our heart is intent on thinking on the wrong things. Journal a list of good things to keep on hand to think on when the enemy tries to insist you think on how you’ve been hurt or betrayed. The list will grow longer with time. Thinking on good things and rejoicing go hand in hand; they feed each other.

To me, rejoicing is like the underwear we wear under the full armor of God. Who goes out with their underwear? Who wants armor rubbing on their bare skin? The more outrageous our joy, the thicker the undercovering beneath the armor – making it easier to put the armor on and wear it all day long.

Okay, you already know I’m not a pithy woman. But, I’ll wrap things up.

Joy is contagious. Once we’re rejoicing, even if it’s not blatantly obvious to those around me, they’ll start feeling it, too. They get to choose whether to take it up or run from it, but they’ll know it’s there for the taking. Spread it around liberally. Especially around children. They love it!

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Philippians 4:4-8 (NKJV)

 

Solid As A Rock

 

To me, forty-eight years of marriage to the same man is worth celebrating. So is the man himself! We celebrated our first wedding anniversary at a laundromat in Jacksonville, North Carolina somewhere near Camp Geiger. Humble beginnings and happy hearts can take you a long way, but God has promised to take us all the way. (It’s easier when you’re cooperating with Him.)

Other anniversaries have been more costly, but love can’t be measured by the price tag on the celebration. We were just as happy at that laundromat as we were in the Caribbean.

There have been plenty of bumpy spots along the way, most of them were me tripping uphill. But we’ve come through the thick and the thin, his long military career, his almost as long police career, many moves and ups and downs with children and grandchildren, all glory to God and the patience He’s continuously pouring into my husband, Dave.

There are small things and great things to celebrate about my man. The main things are that he loves Jesus  first and he loves me second. His selfless acts of kindness and thoughtfulness should win him the husband of the year award every single year. Above is a picture of two stones that mean nothing to anyone else, but I’ll cherish them. This is the type of thing that makes my heart giggle, it feels like Dave is tickling my heart from the inside out when he does things like this. And he does them all the time!

While driving this past summer on journeys far and wide, Dave is the main driver; I’m the navigator. He’s always my dependable driver. With GPS on my phone, it’s pretty easy to be the navigator now. Back in the day, when paper maps were all the rage and impossible to refold, I got us lost plenty of times. We’re not fast while walking, hiking or driving, but we get there. We call ourselves the Ground Coverings, because – well, we’re covering ground.

Cruising down the road, I admire most everything along the way. Oooo – look at that tree! Oh, look at those flowers! And plenty of questions that neither Dave nor I know the answers to. Fortunately, our phones are smarter than we are, so we direct our questions to some magical voice in our phones that seems to know most everything.

While driving somewhere between northeast Tennessee and northeast Ohio, I was admiring the cliffs towering to either side of us, rising up into the brilliant sunshine. In my ramblings, I mentioned that it would be cool to feel the rock they’re made of (I’m a tactile kinda gal) and within seconds, Dave slowed down and pulled over – just so I could jump out of the car and feel the cliffside. That’s where I snatched up these stones. These are what those cliffs are made of. I imagine it’s some type of slate. But they sit here on my desk to remind me that on occasion, Dave may get on my nerves (as all spouses do), but he loves me like no one else can. Yep – God put that love for me in his heart. I have no doubt that we’ll be together till death do us part. 

(The flowering tree pods came from an impromptu roadside stop, as well.)

Happy Anniversary, Babe! I love you forever and always.

Simply Put....

 

Simply put.

How can we simplify the chaos in our minds these days? We actually have a lot of options, and we should use as many of them as we can.

I run to the Word of God. Nothing can comfort me like God’s words to me. Nothing can calm me like His Spirit being present with me.

But sometimes I feel like I need to go looking for Him, as if He’s hidden in plain view but for me to accept the peace He has for me, I have to go in search of it. Silly, right? But, if I need to head out on a trail, or hike through a meadow or just go for a drive through the mountains or walk along a beach – that’s what my head needs to quiet down so I can listen. Those of you who know me personally know I can be loquacious. I admit it, I can be chatty. But if you think I’m talkative on the outside, you should hear what’s sometimes going on the INSIDE of my head! So, if I need to “get away” for a while, then that’s what I need to do. Dave (my wonderful husband) knows that taking me out into nature will always fill my “happy tank” – and he’ll take me there when he can tell I need it. Whether that’s a walk on the trail across the street from where we live, or someplace a little further away.

And that, my friends, is where I find the simple things that my brain needs to quiet itself and hear the still small voice of God. Might that be what you need today?

Go for a walk, alone or with a friend. It’s been my experience that when I take a friend (generally my best friend) I have to work more at being quiet. Chat with your friend – for a while. But leave time to chat with the One that loves you most and wants more than anything to soothe your soul, quiet your mind and love your worries away.

I thought I would share with you a few of my “simply” moments today.

“Therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” - Psalm 16:9

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: don’t worry yourself because of the one who prospers in his way, or because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass…” – Psalm 37:7

“The LORD your God in the midst of you is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17

“Therefor did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover, also my flesh shall rest in hope:” – Acts 2:26

“Peace I leave with you, MY peace I give unto you: not as the world gives peace. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27

“…Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: and he shall have it, and his seed after him…” – Numbers 25:12-13

“…let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.” – Isaiah 27:5

 

Who Hears Your Stories?

(emmanuelmti .com)

Who hears your stories?

While reading the other day, this phrase caught my attention:

“And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.” – Mark 5:18-20 KJV

Here, Jesus had just delivered a man from a legion of demons that had tormented him for years; he’d been chained up outside his city repeatedly, only to tear through the chains, terrorizing many. The townspeople were amazed to see him sitting, clothed and in his right mind in front of Jesus, the man Who had just set him free.

Just as there are things about this story that I don’t understand completely, there were many things that confused the townspeople, but their misunderstanding caused them great fear. They wanted Jesus to leave their territory, where as I want only to grow closer to Him.

(pinterest)

But back to this newly set free man, who’s name we don’t even know – he’s forever been referred to as “the demoniac”, sits there in awe of what Jesus has done for him, falling in love with Him.

When Jesus was begged to leave town, this newly freed man wanted desperately to go with Him. God has so impacted MY life, that I always want to be with Him.

But Jesus instructed this man to go home to his friends and tell them how much God loves him and about the great things He has done for him.

The man obeyed and went back to his friends and family a new man. He told them about God’s great love and power toward him – to let them know it was available to them, too. And they marveled. (Who all was in that crowd?)

This is all that Jesus requires of us, as well – that we go to our friends and family and anyone who will listen and tell them about His great love and compassion for us and about all the wonderful things He’s done in our lives. Therein we will fulfill the great commission; we’ll be sharing with them what God has given to us.

With some, we’ll get to share more. Others will merely hear parts of our story.

God wants us to know His love, to share His love and to share the reality that He will meet our needs, delivering us from the corruption of this world and bringing us into His abundant life, here on earth and in the next life.

How hard is it to share? Our parents have been trying to teach us this concept since we were introduced to other children.

Share.

Share what God has freely given you. Teach what He has taught you. Love like He has loved you.

You don’t even realize the impact you’ll have.

Who will hear your stories?

Mourn - Grieve - and Let Go

 

(picsart .com)

We can all mourn the past we didn't have. 

 

Wishing our lives had been different won't change a thing. Go ahead and grieve for it. You won’t move forward without letting go.

 

To the one whose childhood was too difficult to navigate...

To the child who's felt unloved everyday...

To the one who's never felt they fit in...

To the one who's been neglected and abused...

To the one who's confused and challenging why things have been so hard...

And to everyone else reading:

 

You are seen and you are loved. 

 

"But not the way I've wanted to be", your heart cries. 

 You've been ignored, or worse, scorned. 

 

You've been criticized or cursed. 

 

You've felt completely alone, even when everyone around you seemed to be laughing. 

 

You've been lost and scared, not knowing where to turn or who to run to. 

 

You've knocked on doors that wouldn't open. 

 

You've cried prayers of fear and desperation. 

 

You've seen and felt the emptiness of your heart. 

 

And all you've wanted is to be seen and heard and loved. 

(imgflip.com)

Don't believe the lie that you are at fault or that you are unlovable. 

 

Don't believe the lie that no one truly cares about you. 

 

Don't believe the lie that you're the only one who's faced these thoughts and feelings. 

 

Don't believe the lie that no one will ever accept you as you are. 

 

 

The very One Who created you has been there every step of the way. 

 

He's been watching you and crying with you and reaching out to you.

 

He's been listening when your heart was breaking, and He heard the sound of every piece crack and fall away. 

 

He's seen every tear fall - and He's caught them all. 

 

He's felt your heartbeat race through all your fear and anxiety. 

 

He's called your name in whispers and shouts throughout every day you've drawn breath. 

 

He's tucked blessings in along the way. Sometimes hidden away for you, sometimes in glaringly obvious places. 

 

He's painted sunsets for your eyes only. 

 

He's showered down rain and sat with you in the puddles. 

 

He's guided you and even led you by the hand for as long as you'd hold on. 

 

He's dropped sunbeams to shimmer on your hair. 

 

He's brought sweet fragrances to tantalize your senses. 

 

He's sung love songs into your ears and wrapped them around your heart. 

 

He's breathed life into your lungs, even when you didn't want to go in living. 

 

He knew you before you were conceived. 

 

He waited with you on endless nights of loneliness and sorrow. 

 

He's pulled back the veil when you wrestled with confusion. 

 

He's held you while you slept, cradling you in His arms, tucking you closely into His heart. 

 

He was the parent your natural parents couldn't be. 

 

 

You can mourn the past you didn't have. 

 

You should. 

 

 

Then release the past to the past and look for the blessings of today. 

 

They're there. 

 

Everywhere. 

 

You'll miss most of them, even when you're intentionally looking. 

 

They're there. 

 

You'll catch a glimpse of one now and then. 

 

As you watch for them, you'll see more of them. 

 

You'll begin to appreciate them and even rejoice in them. 

 

And blessing by blessing you'll let go of yesterday and make something new out of today. 

 

As you listen for His voice, you'll begin to hear His love songs. 

 

As you begin to recognize the presence of the One Who loves you best you'll begin to celebrate moments you use to miss. 

 

Second by second, minute by minute you'll see your life for what it's meant to be, not just as the sum of the hurts that brought you into today. 

 

 

You are more. 

You are loved. You've always been loved. 

You are not alone. You were never really alone. 

You're alive, truly alive. 

 

Your next breath ushers in purpose and meaning that's been there all along. 

 

The only One Who can save us is the One Who loved us enough to create us and give us the chance to fulfill our destiny. 

 

All our mistakes and failures are back there, too - in the past. 

 

 

Today is new. 

 

Today we can choose to listen for His voice.

 

Today we can open our hearts up to His tangible presence. 

 

Today we can sing with Him as He rejoices over us. 

 

And tomorrow, there’s even more.

Responsibilities

 

Here’s a controversial topic: personal responsibility.

This is a subject that divides a lot of conversations, from politics to religion to household chores and beyond.

Of course, I’m going to veer into the spiritual side of things, hopefully it’s what you’ve come to expect from me.

Where does my responsibility to God begin and end versus where God’s begin and end? (Hint: His load is greater.)

 

I used to think it was my responsibility to work my way into Heaven; to earn my place there – to be good enough to “get in”. But after reading that my own personal righteousness (and yours) is as filthy rags to God (and let me emphasis that by filthy rags, I mean used menstrual cloths. There’s a phrase I didn’t imagine using in a blog post).

If all I could do to earn entry to the heavenly realm was as impressive as that kind of filthy rag, I knew I needed to find another way, if one could be found. Otherwise, that meant that Heaven was out of reach for all of us.

(from reddit)

There are plenty of verses in the Old Testament that point to our Salvation, but He hadn’t shown up on the scene in the flesh, just yet. The need for a redeemer – a Messiah, was explicitly shown to the people of the Old Testament and there are plenty of prophecies regarding the coming Christ.

The New Testament tells the story of that coming Savior and spells out the details of what was necessary from this Man, the Son of God Himself and His needed sacrifice to redeem us from sin and reunite us to Him – and His Father. These scriptures also reveal that salvation is not an end to the story of our need, but the beginning. Once we begin to live in the reality of the Cross, God fills us with His own Spirit. We become one with Him! The rest of the story is joyful adventures, even in the worst of situations. He is always with us, promising to never leave us alone.

(from choosethisday .com)

Jesus’s responsibility was to provide the way for us to become one with Him and He CHOSE to do that. He created us, knowing well the responsibility He endowed us with when He gave us the right to choose our own destiny. He trusted us to choose wisely, knowing we would fail. He CHOSE to take on the responsibility of making right our wrongs.

He’s completed His part of the arrangement, having done all that was required of Him. The punishment for our sin was death (separation from His Father). He took that upon Himself so we wouldn’t have to suffer it. He, Himself paid our penalty. In His last breath on the Cross, He stated that, “It is finished.” The work on the Cross to redeem us had been completed. We cannot add to it.

(from etsy)

Now, it is simply our responsibility to believe.

I say “simply” - because He even made that possible by planting within us the faith it will take to believe in Him. To us is given the measure of faith as a gift. We are allowed to CHOOSE what we’ll do with that deposit of faith.

When we accept His sacrifice for our sin and ask Him to forgive us, we become one with Him. We’re guaranteed Heaven, but we also get to live life in this world filled with His Spirit and with complete joy (which is our strength).

 

Our next responsibility is to share the love and freedom we’ve found, to rescue the lost, not condemn them.

It’s been said that the sin of the desert is to know where the water is and tell no one.

Once we acknowledge our need for a Savior, and allow God to forgive us, He can begin the wonderful work of healing us and delivering us from everything that’s held us captive, empowering us to live for Him, sharing His love with everyone around us. Once we allow Him to love us the way He wants to, we’ll want everyone to experience the freedom and grace and mercy we have.

(from instagram)

“God in Heaven, I recognize my need for a savior. I choose You, Jesus. The world has only trapped me more each day. I turn away from sin and into You. Forgive me and accept me as I am and wash me clean, like Your Word promises You’ll do. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and with Your power so that I can edify Your body here on earth and lead others out of captivity. Instruct me by Your Word and lead me by Your Spirit, in Jesus’s Name. Amen.”

If you’d like scripture references for anything I say, just ask!