For His Glory

A New Day is Here

2012-02-23T13:32:00.001-06:00

Isaiah 9:1-8 has been a Scripture that I have been returning to frequently this year. In the OT, it is titled "A New Day is Coming" but as you read through it, you realize that this prophecy of Isaiah has been fulfilled and that a "New Day is Here" today. Reading these verses has challenged and encouraged me to recognize what God has offered us now and to begin to live in it on a daily basis. Here are the verses in the NCV:

But suddenly there will be no more gloom for the land that suffered. In the past God made the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali hang their heads in shame, but in the future those lands will be made great. They will stretch from the road along the Mediterranean Sea to the land beyond the Jordan River and north to Galilee, the land of people who are not Israelites.

2 Before those people lived in darkness,

but now they have seen a great light.

They lived in a dark land,

but a light has shined on them.

3 God, you have caused the nation to grow

and made the people happy.

And they have shown their happiness to you,

like the joy during harvest time,

like the joy of people

taking what they have won in war.

4 Like the time you defeated Midian,

you have taken away their heavy load

and the heavy pole from their backs

and the rod the enemy used to punish them.

5 Every boot that marched in battle

and every uniform stained with blood

has been thrown into the fire.

As I read through verses 1-5 the concept of contrast stands out. There is a definite difference between the way things were and the way things are now:

Before there was gloom, suffering and shame now there is GREATNESS
Darkness but now there is GREAT LIGHT
War and heaviness now there is HAPPINESS, VICTORY and JOY

Scripture repeats over and over again that there is and should be a distinct contrast between the darkness that was and His great light! It began in Genesis 1:1, where God spoke to the chaos that hung over the world and said, "Let there be light." You can imagine what a huge contrast there was between those two moments. The same God who said, "Let there be light" in the very beginning now declares it over us, who have new life in Jesus:

Declare the praises of Him who

has called you out of darkness into His wonderful light .

Once you were not a people,

but now you are the people of God;

once you had not received mercy,

but now you have received mercy.

(I Peter 2:9-10).

We are His people and we are benefactors of His great mercy!

Isaiah 9:6-7

6 A child has been born to us;

God has given a son to us.

He will be responsible for leading the people.

His name will be

Wonderful Counselor,

Powerful God,

Father Who Lives Forever,

Prince of Peace.

7 Power and peace will be in his kingdom

and will continue to grow forever.

He will rule as king on David's throne

and over David's kingdom.

He will make it strong

by ruling with justice and goodness

from now on and forever.

The Lord All-Powerful will do this

because of his strong love for his people.

I just love these verses. It starts out saying that, "He will be responsible for leading His people." This revelation has been very freeing for me. I've spent much of my Christianity, trying to get God to do things "for me and for others." There was a sense that I had to beg Him in order to get Him to move on my behalf. But looking at verse 6 along with what was said in 1 Peter 2:10 it has become clear to me that God is leading me - not the other way around. We have already received His mercy, His grace and His love and we have the opportunity to follow His leadership in what He is doing.

What makes this so much easier to do is to look at who He promises to be for us: Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace! I will admit that there are situations and times when fear begins to seep in again. At those moments, I've been taking the time to stop, breathe and remember these truths. "You God, have promised to be my Wonderful Counselor, I am listening for your counsel right now! You are the Prince of Peace I receive that peace right now!" These truths have released me from the "need to always be in control" of how situations turn out and instead turn to trusting in Him to lead me and guide me.

"Power and peace will be His kingdom and His kingdom is ever expanding. He rules it with justice and goodness." These words have helped calm me and give me insight into how to recognize His hand. His kingdom is always growing, am I making room for it to expand in my own life?

What will the results and effects of His kingdom look like?

power
peace
justice
goodness.

James 3:17 gives us more things that we can look for:

purity
peace
gentleness
easy to please

Knowing the fruit of God's operation will help us to recognize His leading and become more confident in following His voice.

The foundation to help us move in all this is - love (vs 7). Not just any love either, His strong love! These are the places in which we can and should rest. We are living in the times declared by Isaiah. Let us walk confidently and joyful in the light of His love, mercy and grace following Him in His wonderful counsel to expand His kingdom.

In Christ,

A Story to Embody

2012-02-19T13:34:00.001-06:00

Photo: Sunrise by MarilynJane

I wanted to start this post out today, with a reminder (mostly to myself) about why I write this blog. Sometimes as a blogger, I ask myself, "Why do I write and why in the world should anyone care?" I can answer only one of those questions, why I write. I write because I hope that somewhere along the line a piece of my story, intersects with a piece of your story. My prayer is that when those two pieces intersect, you may find something you were looking for: where there was hopelessness, hope, where there was discouragement, encouragement, where there were questions, answers but most of all that you would see that the heart of the Father is LOVE and that He loves you today, right where you are at, in your story.

I've been a Christian for 25 years and I've always had a heart for His people. I grew up at a Christian school and a majority of my fellow classmates, ended up "walking away" from the faith. Then as an adult, I've seen the other side of Christianity, the side that many people hide away from Sunday morning. There is discouragement, pain, brokenness, hopelessness and a sense that perhaps this thing doesn't work. Because of these experiences, there has been an angst in me to bridge that disconnect between our everyday lives and the reality of God. As I've walked through my life, I have seen the faithfulness of God time and time again in my own story. He has given me freedom in my thought life, my marriage, my parenting and my relationship with others while confirming daily in my heart His deep love for others and myself. So I write because I know that I am not alone in my questions, struggles and discouragements but also because I've seen the Lord be faithful to me over and over again and I know that He will do the same thing for you.

I often share the names of people of faith that have influenced or are currently influencing me. It's not that I think "they have the answer" but it is because their walk of faith has provided a place where I can relate, I have found answers that I was looking for, and I have found a place to rest. By sharing their names and resources, I hope that perhaps you too have had similar questions and perhaps their journey of faith can and will also speak into your life.

That is why I write.

_____________________________________________________

Since October my husband and I have been listening to Todd Hunter, from Holy Trinity Anglician Church in Costa Mesa, California. By listening, I mean, going back to the very first messages available and listening to every single one. One of the things that has attracted us and kept us going back for more, is the Lectionary. As I've said, we've been Christians for many years, but the spheres of influence that we've been around have not included Lectionary readings.

The Lectionary (in my terms and as I understand it) is a group of readings shared by certain denominations of the body of Christ. Each Sunday, all these gatherings are reading the exact same Scriptures. In the course of a year, the "story" of the Bible is read, and in the course of three years, almost the whole Bible has been read aloud in church. Each week's readings contain an OT Scripture, a Psalm, a Gospel reading and a reading from the Epistles. Then, at least at Todd's church, the sermons are derived from the Lectionary readings for that week. (If you would like a better explanation of what I am talking about you can listen to Todd's sermon Not too much for You 7/19/10.)

There are several things that have captured our heart with the Lectionary. First and foremost, is that the Lectionary readings capture the idea that God has written a story and is still writing a story today. The Lectionary readings are pieced together in such a way that it shows the connective thread of Scripture. As Todd says, "When you hear the Story, It invites your participation."

Ephesians 4:14 describes what my Christianity has often felt like:

Then we will no longer be infants,

tossed back and forth by the waves,

and blown here and there by every wind of teaching

and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

I know this is a description of what our faith shouldn't look like, but I often felt like it was a description of what my faith felt like: I was on a boat being tossed to and fro. I often felt like God couldn't make up His mind, one day He loved me, one day He didn't. One day I was in His will, the next day I wasn't. The Lectionary readings have eliminated those waves for me. It has elevated God back on His throne; He knows what He is doing, He has been doing it since the very beginning and He is continuing to do it yet again today. Words cannot express the awe, I have had for God these last several months. There is a reverence, a respect, a love and a safety that I have found in this expression of worship. I will fully admit that there has been a woundedness and a tiredness that I have carried in my heart for the last several years but the gentle wooing that I have heard from God through the Lectionary readings and Todd's sermons have truly been streams of living water to my soul.

Because of the beauty and rest I've found in the Lectionary readings, I have decided to start sharing the Lectionary readings each Sunday with you. It is straight Scripture so enjoy:

Last Sunday before lent

2 Kings 2:1-12
When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”
4 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho.”
And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.”
And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.
7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

Psalm 50:1-6

1 The Mighty One, God, the LORD,

speaks and summons the earth

from the rising of the sun to where it sets.

2 From Zion, perfect in beauty,

God shines forth.

3 Our God comes

and will not be silent;

a fire devours before him,

and around him a tempest rages.

4 He summons the heavens above,

and the earth, that he may judge his people:

5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,

who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,

for he is a God of justice.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

⁴ The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers,

so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,

who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we preach is not ourselves,

but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a]

made his light shine in our hearts to give us the

light of the knowledge of God’s glory

displayed in the face of Christ.

Mark 9:2-9

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

In Christ,

One less Orphan

2012-02-17T08:25:00.001-06:00

Awhile back, I did a review on a book called Love You More, which was a story about one family's journey through adoption. The book gave light to the journey of adoption, how it works and how you can help. Our family has not felt a call to adopt, but to say that adoption has not captured my heart would be a huge understatement.

The Lord, has intersected my heart with a couple of families that are currently going through the process of adoption. It is a long road, filled with heartbreak, waiting, hope, heartbreak, waiting and more waiting. But through the process of waiting and believing there is also a lot of expenses. On average an international adoption costs between $20,000 - $30,000!

One of the families, whose story I am following just launched a website, called One Less Orphan. It is a website where you can purchase merchandise and 100% of the proceeds will go to support theirs and a friend's adoptions. But their dream is bigger than that too. If their website is successful, they would like to link together and support other families in adoption.

As I sat reflecting on these things this morning the Lord brought me back to the book of James. In James 1:27 it says,

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:

to look after orphans and widows in their distress

and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Also, throughout the OT we see that the heart of the Father has always been towards the orphans and the widows:

Deuteronomy 10:18

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow,

and loves the foreigner residing among you,

giving them food and clothing.

Deuteronomy 24:17

Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice,

or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.

Deuteronomy 26:12

When you have finished setting aside a tenth of

all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you

shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner,

the fatherless and the widow,

so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.

Psalm 10:14

But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;

you consider their grief and take it in hand.

The victims commit themselves to you;

you are the helper of the fatherless.

Psalm 68:5

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,

is God in his holy dwelling.

Psalm 82:3

Defend the weak and the fatherless;

uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

I think you get the point (but if not, there are even more verses in there!). God loves the fatherless! It is something that we as the church should also love and find practical ways to support.

I know that there is lots of things vying for our money, attention and time ~ I in no way want to guilt you into supporting this specific cause. My desire, however, is to encourage you to look around for families that are pursuing adoption, hear their story and find practical ways (James 2:15-16) to support them in their process.

Finally, as I was reflecting on these courageous Moms who have to fight for their children I was reminded of the battle against the Amalekites:

Exodus 17

So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered,

and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11

As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning,

but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.

12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and

put it under him and he sat on it.

Aaron and Hur held his hands up—

one on one side, one on the other—

so that his hands remained steady till sunset.

13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

As I've watched the process of adoption, I've realized it is a very long road. We as the church, can and should come alongside these courageous families and hold their arms up as they wait. We know that the heart of the Father is for these children and we need to keep supporting them prayerfully and practically on their journeys home.

In Christ,

Remembering love

2012-02-14T14:36:00.001-06:00

I hesitated to post today, not wanting to bring a damper to everyone's day of love but as I pursued my Google Reader I was deeply reminded that true, enduring love comes with a cost. When we take the risk to love we also set ourselves up for the risk of pain but let us never shy away from love to save us from pain. I also realized that there is a strength comes from hearing one another's story and knowing that we are not alone.

Four years ago today my precious niece entered this world with half-a-heart. However, that did not stop her or us from loving and living our lives to the fullest. Here is a poem I wrote in her memory:

A sweet melody is missing from the symphony of life.
We keep waiting for your grand entrance into the music
but silence is all we hear.
Silence has never been so loud.

I miss your million dollar smile, the waving of your hand,
the sweetness of your spirit. All the things that made
you uniquely you.

We knew each moment with you was precious; that it
was a gift. We hardly knew how precious now
that you are gone.

You are forever a part of who we are.
Never will we be the same.

Our family isn't the only one experiencing Valentine's Day in bittersweet memory. To my other blogger mom's thank you for sharing your story and your hearts this day. May you know you are loved Jeane' and Amanda.

The Laughter of Love

2012-02-10T08:47:00.000-06:00

So I told you in my last post that I would spare you from having to read Surprised by Laughter but still get the benefits. Here are a few quotes from the very end of the book:

In regards to laughter and God Lewis reminds us, "When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased." Our laughter therefore, increases when we keep it in its proper place. pg 445

I picked this quote because so often Christians talk about "struggling" to put God first. As this quote captures, I've learned that when God is first, everything else in life is so much richer and enjoyable - which in turns makes it not so hard to allow God His proper place.

To know God's mirth, however one must first know Him and His love. He then forgives those who come to Him. It is the act of forgiveness that transforms those who would submit to the comedy of His grace. Therefore, laughter must be linked to love and forgiveness if it would last. pg 448

You know I love to discuss grace. I've never connected the concept of grace and laughter before reading this quote. But grace truly is a light load. Perhaps if we as Christians would move grace from the serious, theological debate, to actual living in it and enjoying the benefits of it - it would be more contagious to the world?!

"We must, as it so happens, give our own lives for others, but even while we're doing it, I think we're meant to enjoy our Lord, and in Him, our friends, our food, our sleeps, our jokes, and the birds and the frosty sunrise." For this reason, just as hell is the only place outside of heaven where we can be safe from the dangers of love, heaven is the only place where we can be endlessly immersed in the laughter of love. The charity of God transforms natural laughter into a "tuned and obedient instrument," of Love Himself. It began with the Creation, was lost and limited, until Christ returns. It began with Creation, was lost in the Fall, but was gloriously reclaimed through the Resurrection and dispersed through Pentecost... Most people expect the worst from an encounter with God. Our guilt and shames chase us away from the gladness of His presence. He must then become the Hound of Heaven pursuing us, not simply to chide, or punish us, but to embrace us and lick us with His love." (pages 451-452).

Let Him embrace you today with the strength of His love. May the result of that love bring love, laughter and joy into your life with Him and with others.

In Christ,

Book Review: Surprised by Laughter - The Comic World of C.S. Lewis

2012-02-10T08:10:00.002-06:00

I finished Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis by Terry Lindvall, PH.D, last night.

This book was a look at C.S. Lewis life through studying his humor. The author approached the book by combining lots of excerpts from C.S. Lewis' works and showing how the different types of humor were shown in those works. The person who wrote this book is highly intelligent and knows a lot about C.S. Lewis and other types of literature. However, in order to read his book you also have to be highly intelligent. I was only able to grasp about 1/4 of the 450 page book. Unlike the author of Bonhoeffer, this author did not make the works and life of C.S. Lewis accessible to the "common man."

As I plugged through the book, I gleaned what I could so that it wouldn't be a complete waste of time. It motivated me to finally take my little course on speed reading, which I learned how to do and helped get me through the book. I also contemplated whether the church today and our society would be able to produce a man with the caliber of influence that C.S. Lewis had - my conclusion was probably not. Finally, the book showed me that it is okay to lighten up and have joy in our life. Lewis loved to read, discuss, argue, drink, and celebrate with others. I believe he lived his life to the fullest, enjoying life and yet managed to still have a profound and lasting influence on the kingdom of God. (However, I don't know what it says about a person who needs to read a 450 page book to be reminded to lighten up:). I did end up admiring C.S. Lewis even more after reading. The book said he would write letters back to anyone - young or old, sane or insane - who wrote to him.

In conclusion, this book provided a unique approach to studying the life of someone. If you love the works of C.S. Lewis and have a larger vocabulary than I do, you might enjoy the book. If not, then read my next post where I will share a few quotes from the book and it will give you the benefit of the book without the work of reading it.

In Christ,

P.S. I received this book from Booksneeze for the purpose of review. I was not paid and all opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Taking back life

2012-02-04T11:15:00.000-06:00

I have walked around before with a disconnect about being in LIFE right now. I have experienced death, and it stung - stung badly. I have struggled before the Lord with the verse:

I Corinthians 15:55

"Where oh death is thy victory, where oh death is thy sting?"

These words rather than producing comfort, produced a frustration within my spirit. After the death of Nevaeh, my world went spinning out of control in many ways. For about 6 months, I would wake up every night in panic and fear. I would replay the entire day of her death over and over again in my mind. Then during the day, I would worry about every little and big thing my kids were doing. If my kids weren't up at their usual time I would wonder if I would walk into their room in the morning and they would be dead. The fear of death had begun to take over my life.

I remember the exact night the Lord freed me from walking in this terror. That night as I was replaying playing her death over and over again in my mind I realized that I was trying to change the ending of her story. I thought that maybe, just maybe, if I played it one more time, she would wake up. On that night, the Lord showed me that ending was the end - of that chapter - but it was not the end of her story. The Lord took me another step further through a conversation I had with my mom. She said, "So many people live their lives like they are never going to die, instead of living with the understanding that their life on earth is going to end." After these events, I was released from the fear of death that had been dominating my life. I also surrendered the life of my children into Jesus' hands, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Trusting in Him and the story He is writing has allowed me to release the "control" I thought I needed to have to avoid death.

In the last several months, the Lord has been taking me farther, challenging me to see that another reason I do not need to be afraid is because eternal life is now. For the last month I've been reflecting on the following quote by Todd Hunter: "Most of my life we've asked this question, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" But I think this is a way more interesting question, "What if you knew you were going to live tomorrow, next week and next year, and decades longer - what would you do with your life?"

Whenever I hear a new perspective I don't immediately jump on it. I have to take time to let it sit and test it against Scripture. The following are Scriptures that the Holy Spirit has brought to my mind as I've reflected on this quote:

John 10:10 I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.
I Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
I Peter 2:4-5 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ
Galatians 5:16, 22-25 So I say, Live by the Spirit! The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

We have been invited to - life - here, today, right now. Obviously, heaven will be the culmination of our hope and there will be great joy in seeing Jesus face to face; but I think, as these Scriptures show, we were invited to so much more.

When we live according to God's word, we are living a life that will never spoil, perish or fade. We are a living stone in a house that God is building. The Good News contains the message that we have hope that our life right now, truly matters and it has a purpose. How then do we live our lives in life? By walking according to the Spirit.

I entitled this post "Taking back Life" because I believe that is what Jesus came to do. He came to give us life, abundantly, and it starts now. This concept has allowed me re look at verses like

I Corinthians 15:55
"Where oh death is thy victory, where oh death is thy sting?"

or

Philippians 1:21

"For me to live is Christ, to die is gain."

Through these experiences and the thoughts about eternal life starting now, the Lord has helped me step back and see the bigger picture. We have been given life, now today. We are part of a bigger, grander picture, called God's kingdom. As Christians, let us take back life, today and be walk with the knowledge that we are His living stones.

Finally, I leave you with these quotes from Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, Letter 15 (I heard this quote in a sermon by Ellis Brust called Celebrity or Service 5/24/10 @ Holy Trinity Church):

The humans live in time but our Enemy destines them for eternity. He therefore wants them to attend chiefly to two things - to eternity itself and to that point of time which they call the present. For the present is the point at which time touches eternity. Our business, as demons is to get them away from the eternal and the present.

It's far better to make them live in the future, all their passions point in that direction. The thought about the future inflames hope and fear. It is also unknown to them so that making them think about it will make them think of unrealities. In a word, the future is of all things the least like eternity. It is the most completely temporal part of time - for the past is froze and no longer flows and the present is all lit up with eternal rays. Hence nearly all vices are rooted in the future. Gratitude looks to the past, love to the present, fear, avarice, lust and ambition look ahead.

In Christ,

Book Review: Princess Stories

2012-01-30T22:03:00.003-06:00

Our family recently reviewed Princess Stories: Real Bible Stories of God's Princesses by Carolyn Larsen. I selected this book because my daughter is age 6 and shows a strong interest in princesses. I thought this book would be a good way for her to learn about women in the Bible through a means with which she was already interested.

This book is very well done and has far exceeded my expectations. Each story is only 3 pages long and is written as a first-person narrative. Although each story is relatively short, it manages to remain accurate in giving the background of the characters and their biblical story. Each character starts out with "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who was the most (fill in the blank) princess of all." The blank is filled in with that princess' defining characteristic. My daughter was curious at first on how all these women in the Bible could be princesses. Her question gave me the opportunity to share with her how we are all daughters of the King of kings, which allows us all to be princesses.

I personally enjoyed the book because it reveals how many women there actually are in the Bible. We all know the big names like Esther, Ruth, Mary but this book includes even more women like Huldah, the widow of Zaraphath and the daughters of Zelophehad (Did you recognize them all without cheating?). This book has given me a greater appreciation of the role of women in the Bible.

Each section ends with a Bible verse and 3 short questions which allows for age appropriate review of what they learned and application of the principles to their own lives. We have added this book to our home school Bible time and everyone is enjoying it - including my 8 year old son.

This book is very well done and I would highly recommend it to be added to any little girl's library.

In Christ,

I received this book free of charge from the publisher Tyndale House Publishing. I was not paid for my review and all thoughts are mine and mine alone.

Being known and knowing

2012-01-24T10:20:00.004-06:00

God has been overwhelming my heart once again with the depth of His love for us. Below are some of the Scriptures that He has been implanting in my heart to once again strengthen my love, confidence and understanding of Him.

I know I've shared this verse before, but I'll share it again:):

John 17:3

Now this is eternal life:

that they may know you,

the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

The greek word for "know" used in this verse is ginosko: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel to become known to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of to understand to know Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman to become acquainted with, to know

I recently listened to a sermon entitled "To be Known and Felt by God" where he discussed how God already fully knows us:

I Corinthians 13:12

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

God already fully knows you and loves you! The sermon shared above uses Psalm 139: 1-6 as part of its foundation:

You have searched me, LORD,

and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue

you, LORD, know it completely.

5 You hem me in behind and before,

and you lay your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain.

When we come to the place of confidence and rest in God's love for us it provides a foundation for us to move into the things of God. This week, I've also been reading Isaiah 44: 1-5, 21-28, which continues to resonate this theme of God knowing us and loving us. It shows the benefits our life can reflect when we walk in confidence of this truth:

The Lord says, "People of Jacob, you are my servants. Listen to me!

People of Israel, I chose you."

2 This is what the Lord says, who made you,

who formed you in your mother's body,

who will help you:

"People of Jacob, my servants, don't be afraid.

Israel, I chose you.

3 I will pour out water for the thirsty land

and make streams flow on dry land.

I will pour out my Spirit into your children

and my blessing on your descendants.

4 Your children will grow like a tree in the grass,

like poplar trees growing beside streams of water.

5 One person will say, 'I belong to the Lord,'

and another will use the name Jacob.

Another will sign his name 'I am the Lord's,'

and another will use the name Israel."

People of Jacob, remember these things!

People of Israel, remember you are my servants.

made you, and you are my servants.

So Israel, I will not forget you.

22 I have swept away your sins like a big cloud;

I have removed your sins like a cloud that disappears into the air.

Come back to me because I saved you."

23 Skies, sing for joy because the Lord did great things!

Earth, shout for joy, even in your deepest parts!

Sing, you mountains, with thanks to God.

Sing, too, you trees in the forest!

The Lord saved the people of Jacob!

He showed his glory when he saved Israel.

24 This is what the Lord says, who saved you,

who formed you in your mother's body:

"I, the Lord, made everything,

stretching out the skies by myself

and spreading out the earth all alone.

25 I show that the signs of the lying prophets are false;

I make fools of those who do magic.

I confuse even the wise;

they think they know much, but I make them look foolish.

26 I make the messages of my servants come true;

I make the advice of my messengers come true.

I say to Jerusalem,

'People will live in you again!'

I say to the towns of Judah,

'You will be built again!'

I say to Jerusalem's ruins,

'I will repair you.'

27 I tell the deep waters, 'Become dry!

I will make your streams become dry!'

28 I say of Cyrus,[a] 'He is my shepherd

and will do all that I want him to do.

He will say to Jerusalem, "You will be built again!"

He will tell the Temple, "Your foundations will be rebuilt."

There are many promises and truths embedded in these verses. Here are a few of the many thoughts that I've been reflecting on:

I've been reflecting on the contrast between vs 3 where He says He will pour out waters on the dry land with verse 27 where He says to the deep waters "Be dry." One of my favorite attributes of God is that He is a Redeemer, Restorer, Replacer and I think these verses capture that fact. The deep waters, the broken places in our hearts, that have been there for years, He declares - "Be dry." And yet He doesn't just leave us dry, He then pours out water on these dry and barren places to allow the life that He has always intended to be there, to flourish and live.
vs 3 "I will pour out my Spirit on your children!" We live in this reality right now. What a beautiful and eager expectation we can have for our children. Have you been teaching your children to tune an ear to the Spirit?
vs 5 "Another will sign his name: "I am the Lord's." Is this the identity that walk around with? The God who already fully knows you, says you can.

There is much more in those verses, but I'll let you find them! To sum it up, the Lord has been teaching me to enjoy today, because eternal life is now - in the knowing and being known by Him. As I rest in the knowledge that He already fully knows me, loves me and accepts me I am able to walk in joy with Him in the dailyness of life.

I'm praying that you may have a knowledge and understanding of His great love for you and that it will truly be a place where you can rest your heart in as you walk through this day.

In Christ,

The ladder of grace

2012-01-19T08:30:00.002-06:00

The last couple of days I have been captured by Romans 5:1-5. Here it is in the AMP version:

THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to [b]enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

2Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.

3Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.

4And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of [c]character (approved faith and [d]tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] [e]joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.

5Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.

As I have been sitting in reflection of these verses, I've been picturing a ladder of grace. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that are overwhelming. The LORD understands this and I believe these verses in Romans 5 give us a clear picture of the ladder we can climb as we work through these troubles.

The foundation of this ladder is justification. Any difficult journey you embark on needs to be rooted in justification. The AMP did a good job explaining justification for us: being declared right with God. Because of that truth you can confidently grab a hold of the first rung on the ladder: peace with God. This peace with God, means that we have been reconciled unto Him. The second rung is access to God. Because of our justification and our peace with God, we have complete access to God on our journey.

I'm going to skip for a moment to the very top of the ladder: sharing in God's glory. Often as we climb ladders, we continue to look up to see where we are going and how far away we are from the top. Romans 5:2 reminds us that God allows us to share in His glory. There is a weight and a permanence to the glory of God so remember as you are walking through that the end result will be God's glory. When His glory comes it will have a permanent change and He allows us a share in that!

The sides of the ladder, I have marked as grace and love. I believe these are the stabilizers for the rungs. Grace is God's enabling power given to us for the journey that we are on. Love is how He continuously feels about us.

So now we can look back down to our ladder and see that we are on the third rung, joy. If you see the last steps (justification, peace and access), and what you are surrounded by (grace and love) the immensity of situations begins to fade away and you can have joy, because you know that God is taking you somewhere and He is doing something. This joy allows you to take the next step to patience.

As I'm sure you've learned by now, God's time table and our time tables do not always line up. But when you see that God is up to something, He loves you and He is helping you, you can have patience in your circumstances. The next step is character! Yes, your character can grow and deepen as you walk through times of trouble. And last of all there is HOPE. Romans 5:5 says that the hope we get up this ladder will not disappoint us! God has poured out His Holy Spirit upon us as we journeyed to the top.

If you've ever watched the Biggest Loser, you've seen the step ladder that continuously rotates. Depending on your situation, it might not be a 1,2,3 and you are at the top. Rather, it might be like the rotating ladder where we have to go back and immerse ourselves in these truths. But I believe this visual helps us to see why we can have joy and hope as we walk in and through hard times.

In Christ,

PS Feel free to print out the visual and look back at the verses with the ladder in mind.

The story of mess

2012-01-15T19:21:00.000-06:00

You are about to get a glimpse of my kitchen, in a mess! For those of you who know me personally and I allow into my home on a regular basis, will know that my house doesn't usually look like this when you come to visit. I like a nice clean house when I have company. However, if you live with me, this is how our house normally looks. Why? Because people actually live in the house and amazingly so, life with people ends up being messy.

But within the mess is a story and as I reflected on the story of my messy kitchen this morning, I decided I'd much rather have the story and the people who make the story than to have a nice clean house.

Story 1: The coffee pot. The coffee pot is out because my husband surprised us and took Friday off of work. He bought hot chocolate, peppermint creamer and cinnamon buns as a treat for breakfast.

Story two: The messy counter. This counter is notorious for all the junk. Glasses, mail, a book that I am reading, bills to pay, tape, a whoopee cushion, you know all the important things of life.

Story 3: My mother-in-law pile. I have a pile of things I need to take to my mother-in-law's house of stuff that belongs to her. So yes, this pile of stuff from Christmas, will soon be moving to another's home.

Story 4: The crumby floor. These crumbs are from the zucchini, banana flaxseed muffins that I made my kids. They thought they were fantastic and thanked me profusely for making them. However, they left a mess on the floor. I don't like to sweep but my husband will do the job. I asked him to sweep it up a couple of days ago and he said he would. The fact that the mess was still there made me smile. I was glad that we were at the point in our marriage where I didn't have to be a nag and yell that he didn't sweep when I asked him too. I have learned to trust his heart and know that he hadn't forgotten. Then this morning before our Sunday gathering he noticed the mess and said, "I didn't sweep that up yet." The first thing he did when we came home was sweep up the mess (and almost wrecked my chance to take pictures for my post).

Story 6: We celebrated my son's 8th birthday yesterday. That is the box that hold the crumbs of what is left, along with the camera that captured the pictures. We have an amazing son who brings us life and delight over the last 8 years.

So as you see, our mess tells a story. The story that it tells is that life, fellowship, laughter, love and fun live in this house. I wish that life could operate without the included mess, but it doesn't. All this got me thinking about my last post, Sin's power is broken, and especially about Romans 6:10-12:

10For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it]

once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him].

11Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin

and your relation to it broken,

but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus.

You see Jesus willing choose to enter the mess of our world and take care of the problem of sin so that we could remain in unbroken fellowship with Him. He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, in fact Isaiah 53:3 says that

He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering.

Now He now sits at the right hand of God, as our high priest who sympathizes with our weakness (Hebrew 4:18). He has opened the way so that we can live this life in unbroken fellowship with Him. Because He has walked this earth in flesh, He understands that life is messy and offers us mercy and grace as we walk through this life. He is not sitting in heaven waiting for us to live perfectly, holy and clean lives so that then we can live in fellowship with Him. No, instead He has made it possible for us to live our life in relation with Him.

If you want to live a mess-free life you will have to do it by sitting still and doing nothing. However, when you begin interacting with others, seeing their lives and sharing with them then mess will develop. The greatest commandment Jesus said is "To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and then to love others as yourself." Jesus understands that if you live out this command, there will be messes along the way. He wants you to live, move and have your being in Him as you walk through this life. Your mess will get cleaned up, straightened and put away, but to live life in love, fellowship, laughter and friendship with Him and those we share life with is what He offers.

In Christ,

Sin's power is broken

2012-01-12T22:45:00.001-06:00

In my last post, I shared on the Relentless nature of God. I also discussed the power of TRUTH. The past several years I've been in a process of removing lies and misunderstandings that I've accumulated over the years. As time goes by, I've grown to have a greater understanding of the beauty of the the Gospel and the freedom that Christ offers us by His grace.

Remember the 4 characteristics of God discussed in Isaiah 9: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace? The Lord really captured me in the past 2 years with the concept that He is not only my Everlasting Father, but is my loving Heavenly Father. Now that I am secure in that I have been re-entering the Bible with fresh, free eyes and I have been astounded by how much "I see" that I've never seen or understood before. Today I want to share on the concept of sin.

Sin is a popular word in Christian circles today. It has been a huge focal point of most of my Christian experience. I sinned again, what can I do differently, Lord will you forgive me, have you forgiven me? When will I go too far for your grace?

I've read the book of Romans many times before, and in the past it has only seemed to reconfirm these fears of insecurity. The Lord has been taking me through the book again, and I've realized that through my dissection of each verse, I have missed the story and the point of what Paul is trying to say.

In the book of Romans, Paul is building a case to the Jewish people of why faith ALONE in Jesus Christ is where we should put our hope and trust. However, if you stop him in the middle of his building a case, you end up missing the whole point of what he is trying to say. For instance, try reading Romans 1 by itself. Then, try reading Romans 2 by itself. Then return and read Romans 1,2 and 3 all together and I guarantee you will leave with a whole different understanding.

Or take for instance, Romans 3:23 which we all know: "All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God." But can you quote Romans 3:24 (I'd really like to know if you can)? See verse 23 doesn't end with a period, it has a comma and reads on to say:

and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Why do we choose to memorize only 3:23 and not continue on to the Good News of verse 24? Why do we have an obsession with sin instead of with grace?

Why, you say, because if we have an obsession with grace we will continue to sin. (Hmm, sounds somewhat familiar to Romans 6:1). However, we do not need to bypass truth, or create a new truth to overcome sin. Instead, shouldn't we try believing in and doing it God's way?

Romans 6:10-12 (AMP)

10For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it]

once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him].

11Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin

and your relation to it broken,

but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus.

Read it again. Did you hear that? Is that what you've been taught? Do you consider yourself dead to sin? Your relationship broken with it? Is the primary identity you walk with is that you are alive in God, in UNBROKEN fellowship with Him? That there is the point and the key! Sin is no longer your master - you are dead to it - Christ is your master. Do we still mess up sometimes? Yes, but that doesn't change the truth. You are now dead to sin. It does not come alive again because you mess up.

12Let not sin therefore rule as king in your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies, to make you yield to its cravings and be subject to its lusts and evil passions.

14 For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God's favor and mercy].

According to the verses above, you have a choice to make about how sin operates in your mortal bodies. You can choose to let it rule and reign, or you can realize that it has no dominion over you and therefore you can choose to live and walk according to grace. Personally, I have found no better way to live, than to live in these truths. If you want to live under the law, then only read Romans 2 & 7 because those descriptions will be the defining factors of your life. You will constantly feel like you are failing, never measuring up and that God is always angry with you. However, if you want to live under grace then read all of Romans and believe and apply Romans 3, 6 and 8. This is the lifestyle that Christ purchased for you, that you would be dead to sin, that it would no longer be your master. The truth is that you live in unbroken fellowship with your Heavenly Father and because of that you get to walk according to the Spirit and not the law. So here is where people often trip up on grace- they think that if you live by grace you will not be holy. However, God's design is for you to walk according to the Spirit (Romans 8). If you choose to walk by the Spirit, you will end up fulfilling the law without even trying. But if you try to FIRST live your life by the law and carry that burden on your shoulders you will constantly fail. Why?

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase (Romans 5:20).

The point of the law is to show that you are a sinner. So if you try to live your faith out by walking by the law instead of by the Spirit you will constantly be aware of the fact that you still sin and fail.

So stop having your constant fixation be upon sin, are you sinning, have you sinned, etc. Sin is no longer your master. You have died to it. Instead, fix your eyes on Jesus Christ with whom you have unbroken fellowship! Guess what? By walking in fellowship with God through this life you will be walking in the true life that belongs to you.

In Christ,

Relentless God

2012-01-08T10:18:00.001-06:00

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness(from the Declaration of Independence).

When these words were originally written, they were not a physical reality to the people who wrote them. In addition, the scope of their vision was small; they were talking only about themselves and they had no idea the lengths and the depths that these words could and would reach. The beauty of these words is that they contained truth and because they contained truth the words have endured the test of time and have reached farther and wider than was imagined and brought about changes that not only remained in the realm of the mind, but emerged into physical reality.

The last several months the LORD has captured my heart with the Relentlessness of WHO He IS. I have listened to a sermon by Todd Hunter called Relentless God (8/29/10) at least 4 times now. It isn't that the sermon is full of overwhelming points but it is the essence of the message that has captured my heart; God is up to something, He is on a mission and we can choose to join in with His mission or not. But whether or not you choose to join in with these TRUTHS and allow them to be a reality in your life or not does not make the truths - untrue.

As I entered the Christmas season and since then I have been caught up in Isaiah 9:6&7

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,

On the throne of David and over his kingdom,

To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness

From then on and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

The words of the prophet Isaiah have captured me. This is Who Jesus proclaims to be in our lives:

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father

Are these just words on a page, words for our theoretical minds? Or are these the words of Almighty God, declaring Who HE is, and they are meant to be a reality for our lives? Should we follow the example of our Founding Fathers and realize that sometimes TRUTH supersedes "reality" and that it needs to be declared, lived out and if necessary fought for?

Isaiah continues, "there will be no end to the increase of His government." God is on the move, in an ever-increasing manner, and I have been caught up in the journey of knowing Him in ever increasing measuring and allowing the increase of His government (kingdom) to rule and reign in my life and in the lives of those around me.

These beautiful words are TRUTHS, which unfortunately too many of us are missing as reality in our lives.
As I walk into this new year the LORD has encouraged my heart to declare, walk in and live in the realities of these truths. He is my Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. These words are going to be the forerunners of my life in this next season.

I am excited about this upcoming year and pray you will continue to walk along with me in the journey. The LORD continues to overwhelm my heart with the height, length, beauty and depth of His Living Word. As I've entered in, it truly has been refreshing, living water to my soul.

My prayer for each one of you is that the LORD would capture your heart with His truth and that He would place in you a hunger and thirst for Him that cannot be quenched yet propels you forward in strength, faith and hope as you follow after Him into the things He has for you in this season.

In Christ,

Dusting off Dreams

2011-12-31T11:15:00.002-06:00

My kids have big dreams, dreams that are bigger than life itself. For instance, over the last several months my daughter has been building a "rocket ship" in our living room out of cardboard boxes. For Christmas, my kids got an upgrade to a 5 foot long rocket ship. Below is a video of my kids preparing to launch off to space.

Their dreams have expanded my horizons and have taught me child-like faith. There is something about "getting older" that allows the practicality of life and the limits life offers to begin to bury those youthful dreams we once had.

My daughter has another dream and her dream has inspired me to dust off some of my own dreams. When she was 4 1/2 years old she took paper, scissor, tape and a pencil and made a little book. She couldn't read or write at this point in time but she drew pictures. The book ended up having a story line of a princess captured by a witch and saved by a hero. It was very cute and I was amazed at her creativity. The hero of the story, Tot began to take shape and form.

Tot was not a one time incidence. She began creating more and more books. However, her creations much like her personality, were spread all over the place. I began to help her "organize" her little books. Last time we organized, Tot was up to 11 "books." I began to realize that this was a significant moment in her little life and I made sure it was kept together and not thrown away which is what I like to do when there are too many papers (remember practicality). I still did not understand or realize the depths of her dreams.

One night, she and I were driving alone in the car. In the backseat, her little voice spoke up,

"Tot will be in the library when I'm 26 years old."

"What?" I asked.

"Tot will be in the library when I'm 26 years old. I'll have to probably have other jobs until then, but he will be in the library when I'm 26."

I was astounded at the depths and the practicality of her dreams. In her young mind, she was going to have her books published when she is 26 and she understood that it will take time, effort, and perhaps pursuing other things in the process. After our recent trip to Disney World, she added another element to her dream. She announced that Tot's wife, Micah would be the next Disney princess and Tot would be the next prince. (So you heard it here first!)

Wow! I began to pray to the Lord after all this. How in the world do you harness the depths of these dreams to keep them alive, so that she can accomplish some of her dreams? And then the Lord began to quietly remind me of some of my own dreams. You see in my younger years I used to dream, too. Every New Year, I would journal and write out what I hoped to accomplish in the upcoming year. As we know, the practicality of life gets in the way and those dreams get dusty. Now that I'm older and "wiser" I no longer keep up with this tradition of writing down dreams that will never happen, what's the point?

The point, I've been learning, is that it is okay to fail and that failure is often a road to reality. So after seeing the dreams of my kids, the Lord has challenged me to dust off one my forgotten dreams. One of the ways I can help my daughter achieve her dreams is to show her that it is okay to try, fail and then try again. Maybe every dream won't reach reality, but as the video above showed, it is sure fun to dream.

So yes, for this New Year, I'm dusting off some old dreams. I am returning to the wonderment of childhood and realizing through the eyes of my daughter that you can have huge dreams and be practical at the same time.

Where are the dreamers?

Where have they gone?

They are the melody to life's song.

In Christ,

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T08:14:00.000-06:00

Before you rush into your holiday weekend I wanted to take a moment and wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Thank you for taking time to read my blog. It humbles me that people take the time to stop and read what I have to say. I want to leave you with a little something I wrote a couple years back. It is a beautiful reminder of who we serve. Feel free to print it out.

WHO I AM

Dearest Child,

What is it that you need? What is it that you are searching for?

Do you feel like your life is a mess?
I am your Redeemer.

Do you feel unloved?
I am the Lover of your soul.

Are you filled with sorrow?
I am your Comforter.

Do you feel alone?
I have promised to never leave you or forsake you.

Do you feel your story is incomplete?
I am the author and perfecter of your faith. Fix your eyes on me.

Are you afraid?
I am your Defender and Protector.

Are there situations in your life that you need to be rescued from?
I am a Warrior; I fight for you daily and will save you.

Do you feel unknown?
I have numbered even the hairs on your head ~ I know you.

Do you need to rest?
I have asked you to come to me when you are weary and I will give you rest.

Whatever it is you are facing ~ I AM.

I AM here for you to be your strong tower, a refuge. I AM mighty and the one who can and will and does fight for you daily. I AM full of love & provide a place to receive mercy and grace in your time of need.

Ask me your questions. I will answer you for

I AM.

Love,
Your Heavenly Father

References:

Redeemer: Isaiah 48:17, Jeremiah 50:34

Lover: Song of Solomon 2:14, 1 John 4:10

Comforter: Isaiah 49:13, 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5

Never leave: Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5

Fix your eyes: Hebrews 12:2

Defender: Isaiah 19:20, Proverbs 23:11

Warrior & Savior: Exodus 15:3, Isaiah 42:13, Jeremiah 20:11, Isaiah 43:11, Isaiah 45:21

Give you rest: Psalm 68:19, Matthew 11:38

Numbered hairs on your head: Luke 12: 6,7

I AM: Exodus 3:14

Refuge: 2 Samuel 22:3

Mighty One: Psalm 50:1

Gracious: Exodus 34:6, Psalm 116:5, Isaiah 30:18, Romans 8:32

Merciful: Deuteronomy 4:31, Micah 7:18, Luke 1:50, Titus 3:4-7

Merry Christmas,

Book Review: Healing is a Choice

2011-12-22T09:14:00.005-06:00

I decided to review the book Healing is a Choice by Stephen Arterburn after attending the incredible Women of Faith Conference. At the conference, they emphasized being healthy spiritually and that we do have choices in how we feel and act each day. They said if you were having trouble in this area to seek help. I thought this book would be a perfect follow up to the conference.

Eight years ago, I read Waking the Dead by John Eldredge and then proceeded to read the rest of his works. Going through his books helped me to sort through a lot of stuff and find a lot of freedom in different areas. The last couple of years though I haven't really focused on "healing" per se and I began to see the residual effects in my life. Issues began creeping up slowly, that were just annoying at first but started turning into bad habits. I've learned that when things continue and I'm not able to stop them, through prayer alone that there is usually something else going on. I've learned that it is worth finding out what the roots are and attacking them. After attending the conference, I decided to attack these things head on. So onto the book review:

Healing is a Choice is slightly intimidating when you receive it because it is 454 pages long! Why is it so long? Because it is the book and a full workbook combined. The book discusses 10 decisions that will transform your life and 10 lies that can prevent you from making them. The book is actually a fairly quick and easy read. It is the workbook part that is full and intense.

The author is divorced after a 20 plus year marriage. He uses much of the book to discuss the process of healing he went through after his divorce. I personally struggled with how he chose to talk about his ex-wife and his former marriage. His examples ended up being a hurdle I had to overcome to get to the truths of the book. However, what I really found beneficial was the workbook portion of the book. It is excellent and it is filled with Scripture and lots of good questions to ask. It provided a good quiet time for me to talk to the Lord about some things! I personally found the workbook portion to be helpful and healing and it did provide what I was looking for, a format to deal with some of these issues.

Here are a couple of other thoughts about the book. He mentions the possibility of using the book in small groups. After leading small groups for the last 7 years, I would say this would not be a good idea. The book is pretty intense, and depending on people's pasts could bring up some very deep issues. When I lead a group SAFETY is my number one concern and it takes time to establish that. The group would have to be safe and the leader would have to equipped to handle the issues brought up. Finally, if you can't afford counseling with a professional, the workbook portion might be a cost-effective way for you to get help.

Walking healed and whole is a choice. Often times Christians walk around broken inside but "happy" on the outside. After years of being around Christianity, I've watched these "happy" Christians crumble. I've determined in my heart that this is not going to be my story. What I've learned is that God just doesn't want us to look "good on the outside" but He truly cares about our hearts. He wants to bring healing to our hearts and sometimes that involves looking at the past and letting God bring truth to the pains of the past. Don't be afraid to grab God's hand and walk into the past with Him.

In Christ,

PS I received this book free of charge from Booksneeze. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Cranky Christmas Love

2011-12-14T08:46:00.002-06:00

I checked my e-mail when I woke up this morning and found that an order I had placed last week was canceled because the items were no longer in stock. I then had to hop on the phone and after 25 minutes of placing a new order was told they were not going to give me some of the "cash" they owed me because the coupon had expired. I explained it was not my fault because they had canceled the order I had placed while the coupon was active. By this time frustration had begun to mount inside me - it is early morning, the person on the other end of the line barely speaks English, this is not what I wanted to do with my morning I wanted to blog and spend time with God, it was only $3.60 but it is the principle of the thing - all these thoughts added together and resulted in crankiness towards the person on the other side of the phone.

While I was on hold waiting to speak to a manager, the Holy Spirit was quietly conversing with me. He reminded me that even while I was on the phone I was spending time with Him and He also reminded me of some of the things I read in The Greatest Thing in the World, things about the development of character. God works and moves in the dailyness of life and not just when I am in "worship and quiet time" with Him:

Why should God have provided

that so many hours of every

day should be occupied with work?

It is because work makes men.

Character is the music of the soul, and is developed by exercise.

Active use of the power entrusted

to us is one of the chief

means which God employs

for producing the Christian graces.

In the end, it all worked out, I got my $3.60 back, and I didn't even have to talk to the manager about it. But through it all, I was also reminded of the opportunities God has given me to show His love to other people and not be so American about my rights to good service but to care more about the person serving me and remembering that they have 8 hours to work with cranky housewives who are trying to share the "Christmas spirit" by purchasing items on-line. Perhaps, I can and should pause and spread the fragrance of Christ through love by being patient, kind and understanding...

Do we carry about with us the thought of

God wherever we go? If not,

we have missed the greatest part of life.

I realized that being on the phone wasn't just a waste of time (which is what I thought) but rather a chance to feel God's refining fire at work in my heart, teaching me how to love when it was the very last thing I wanted to do. So once again I am reminded, challenged, encouraged that "in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28)."

Which end of the continuum do I want those that interact with me to associate with Christmas - crankiness or love?

In Christ,

PS The quotes in italics are from The Greatest Thing in the World.

Love: The Greatest Thing in the World

2011-12-08T11:21:00.001-06:00

This morning I opened my Google reader and enjoyed a post by Carolyn Weber entitled Christmas Gifting: Commercialism or Commission? The Giving of Grace. Reading that post lead me on the adventure of starting to read a book called The Greatest Thing in the World. That book is available online for free. All I can say is that for me it is a timely blessing of God's truth. I have been enjoying sitting and reading about 1 Corinthians description of Love and letting the Truth of it seep and soak in and through my life. If you have a few moments follow my links by starting at Carolyn's website and moving from there to the free e-book. You will be blessed.

Here are a few teasers from the book in case you need a little motivation:

I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore,

that I can do, or any kindness that I can show

to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it,

for I shall not pass this way again.

Souls are made sweet not by taking the acid fluids out, but by

putting something in -- a great Love, a new Spirit, the Spirit of Christ.

Christ, the Spirit of Christ, interpenetrating ours, sweetens, purifies,

transforms all. This only can eradicate what is wrong, work a chemical change,

renovate and regenerate, and rehabilitate the inner man. Will-power does not change men.

Time does not change men.

Christ does.

Goethe's words: "Talent develops itself in solitude - the talent of prayer,

of faith, of meditation, of seeing the unseen; character grows in the

stream of world's life. That chiefly is where men are to learn love.

So I have not made my way to the end, but I was enjoying myself so much along the way that I had to share. I pray you have a few moments to jump into these readings and will be blessed.

In Christ,

A Refreshing look at Isaiah 55

2011-12-01T07:56:00.000-06:00

I'm on vacation so here is a recycled post. It is a good reminder:)!
Isaiah 55 contains a variety of verses that probably are very familiar to you. These verses are usually discussed and remembered in small, separate sections. While, the individual verses are beautiful and contain beautiful truths when viewed alone, a reading of them side by side reveals God's love in a way that is overwhelmingly beautiful.
Here is the entirety of Isaiah 55:

The Lord says, "All you who are thirsty,

come and drink.

Those of you who do not have money,

come, buy and eat!

Come buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.

2 Why spend your money on something that is not real food?

Why work for something that doesn't really satisfy you?

Listen closely to me, and you will eat what is good;

your soul will enjoy the rich food that satisfies.

3 Come to me and listen;

listen to me so you may live.

I will make an agreement with you that will last forever.

I will give you the blessings I promised to David.

4 I made David a witness of my power for all nations,
a ruler and commander of many nations.

5 You will call for nations that you don't yet know.

And these nations that do not know you will run to you

because of the Lord your God,

because of the Holy One of Israel who honors you."

6 So you should look for the Lord before it is too late;

you should call to him while he is near.

7 The wicked should stop doing wrong,

and they should stop their evil thoughts.

They should return to the Lord so he may have mercy on them.

They should come to our God, because he will freely forgive them.

8 The Lord says, "My thoughts are not like your thoughts.

Your ways are not like my ways.

9 Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

10 Rain and snow fall from the sky

and don't return without watering the ground.

They cause the plants to sprout and grow,

making seeds for the farmer

and bread for the people.

11 The same thing is true of the words I speak.

They will not return to me empty.

They make the things happen that I want to happen,

and they succeed in doing what I send them to do.

12 "So you will go out with joy

and be led out in peace.

The mountains and hills will burst into song before you,

and all the trees in the fields will clap their hands.

13 Large cypress trees will grow where thornbushes were.

Myrtle trees will grow where weeds were.

These things will be a reminder of the Lord's promise,

and this reminder will never be destroyed.

This entire passage of Scripture is about Jesus Christ and the amazing beauty and freedom of His love! That He offers us life, for free, all we have to do is COME! Throughout this passage, God continually invites us to COME to Him and listen to Him. The things He is offering to us as a result of coming to Him are good for us, rich and satisfying!

Sandwhiched throughout this chapter are additonal verses that we as believers today can take as encouragements to what God is doing and wants to do:

You will call for nations that you don't yet know.

And these nations that do not know you will run to you

because of the Lord your God,

because of the Holy One of Israel who honors you.

Beloved, the nations should be running to us! Let us in confidence, call forth to the nations because God will set them free!

In the middle of this chapter, are the verses: "my thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways". When viewed by themselves, these verses can cause people to be afraid of coming to the Lord in their need, because they think He is saying, "don't question me and you won't understand why such and such has happened." However, if you view these verses in context, you will see that is a misunderstanding. God says, "They should come to the Lord, because He will freely forgive them." The point of these verses is that we can come to God and He will freely forgive us. This incredible idea was, is and always will be GOD's IDEA not our idea.

So you will go out with joy

and be led out in peace.

Are joy and peace what is leading you in your walk with God right now? If not, God says they can lead you. We can't force it, but what I am learning, is that one of the main reasons why I don't experience what God has to offer is because I often have a misunderstanding about His truth and how He operates. That misunderstanding causes a barrier in my ability to walk in His truth. When I sit at His beautiful feet and allow His love to change the lie(s) I've been living under, I then begin to live out the freedom He is offering.

Finally, the beauty of the Truth contained in these verses has the ability to bring powerful changes. "Large cypress trees will grow where thornbushes were. Myrtle trees will grow where weeds were." Our God is a God of redemption and change. When He replaces things in our lives He doesn't just bring an equal change, He brings a change that far exceeds the junk that was there before. So give Him full access, it is worth it!

The reason Isaiah 55 is so beautiful is because it is the GOOD NEWS in God's own words! Our all-powerful God is wanting to set the nations free and offer His forgiveness without reserve. We have a message of freedom, life and redemption! Let's walk in it.

In Christ,

Psalm 103

2011-11-26T09:42:00.003-06:00

As I've talked to young moms over the years, they've often shared the common concern that they have a hard time squeezing in quiet times. Being in this season myself, I understand the struggle. I've learned, however, that I am a much happier Mom and wife when I do find the time to sit before the Lord.

One of the residuals I've carried from reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's works is the value of the Psalms. Bonhoeffer encouraged believers to read one Psalm a day as a prayer. In Visible Fellowship, took it one step further and encouraged believers to stop and pause three times a day in prayer and reflection. While I haven't squeezed in three times a day, I have begun to occasionally pause in the afternoon to read/pray a Psalm. It has been a wonderful mid-afternoon reminder and refresher to my day. I've been revolving around only one Psalm for the last month. It is so rich and full that it has provided a wonderful diving board into prayer and meditation. Below is Psalm 103 in the Amplified version. I will share some of my thoughts throughout.

1BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!

I love the Amplified's explanation of the word bless, to be honest throughout the years I've had no idea how to "bless the Lord" so the words in the parentheses have helped guide me into blessing Him.

All that is "deepest" within me. There are places, thoughts, ideas in my heart that I've wanted to hide from the Lord. This Psalm has encouraged me to "bless" Him from every place. During my quiet prayers I'm learning to praise Him with all areas.

2Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits-

I love the idea "to forget not one of all His benefits." Again, in my daily prayers through this Psalm it has been fun to pause and reflect on a singular benefit of loving the Lord. There are so many, thus another reason why I've been able to sit so long in this Psalm.

3Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,

This particular line is a wonderful reminder of the truth of the gospel and the beauty of what Jesus' death and resurrection purchased for us.

4Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;

I once wrote a post called Spiritual Wardrobe, which lists some of the clothes God offers to dress us with. I didn't include this one. I absolutely love the imagery in it - beautifies, dignifies and crowns - to have His loving-kindness and tender mercy on top of your head flowing down!!!

5Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

I again love the Amp here, because it shows the personalization of our great God; that He satisfies us right where we are at, so that we can be strengthened and renewed!

6The Lord executes righteousness and justice [not for me only, but] for all who are oppressed.

This is a beautiful reminder again of the beauty, power and strength of our God! He is a champion for those who are oppressed.

7He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

The Bible says God is the same yesterday, today and forever. What a beautiful reminder that God did show His ways to Moses and He continues to make Himself and His ways known to us.

8The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness.

9He will not always chide or be contending, neither will He keep His anger forever or hold a grudge.

10He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

This is a Psalm, so at the time of the writing David was being prophetic. We have the great blessing of being full recipients of the truths David was prophesying about. We are now in the place where God's anger is no longer against us and we get to live lives of freedom because our sin is not being held against us! Also, do you see that God is pleanteous in His mercy and loving-kindness. He is not going to run out!

11For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.

12As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

What a beautiful reminder for us today! If you have fears about the depths of God's love for you, or the power of Jesus' death had to pay for your sins, you only have to sit and visualize the truths found here! Your sins have been removed!

13As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe].

14For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust.

I love the imagery that the frailty of our lives is imprinted on His heart.

15As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

16For the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place shall know it no more.

17But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children's children--

18To such as keep His covenant [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it] and to those who [earnestly] remember His commandments to do them [imprinting them on their hearts].

As many of us know all to well, this life we live is so brief, but what a beautiful and precious reminder of the weight of who God is for all eternity. For me personally, it is a precious reminder that His love will never fade away and that He has promised to carry the message and benefit of His love to my children and my grandchildren.

19The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.

20Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word.

The end brings us back to the beginning. If you didn't have a reason to bless the Lord at the start, you have numerous reasons to now!

21Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, all you His hosts, you His ministers who do His pleasure.

I love this - you who do His pleasure. As children of God, we have the opportunity to carry on the message contained in the Psalm of His love, mercy and grace to those around us!

22Bless the Lord, all His works in all places of His dominion; bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul!

Amen!

Oh! I've got goosebumps. I just love this Psalm. By the time I'm done reading it, I always want to start this Psalm over again. For me, it wraps up the beauty of our salvation into one prayer! It has been a great way for me to stay immersed in His Truth throughout my day!

So here it is one more time, without my interruptions:

1BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!

2Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits--