Sharing God's love, His Word, and my faith as I grow and learn. Whether you are already walking with God or just curious about what it is that we Christians believe, I hope that you will find what you're looking for. Please feel free to ask questions or leave any comments you may have. Below my most recent posts are links to Christian news. All videos are from YouTube and may not work on a device that is mobile.
Oh, it's been rough. It's amazing how life can go from normal to tragic in the blink of an eye. I've come so close to losing a close family member....she remains in the Intensive Care Unit on life support. She's had a large, invasive surgery and won't be out of the woods for a while. She looks so tiny and helpless lying there with tubes and wires running everywhere; monitors alarming that all is not as it should be. She's so swollen from all the fluids that she's been given that at first glance her son didn't recognize her for a moment.
She's a wonderful, strong Christian woman who is at peace either way; it's us who she may leave behind that are heartbroken.
It's times like these that faith is what carries me, comforts me, and keeps me putting one foot in front of the other and doing the things that need to be done at a time like this. Truth is, our lives are like a mist that is here today and gone tomorrow...but what a hope we have in our faith, that we will go on to the arms of our Father.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."- Revelation 21:3-4
Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
I long to dwell in your tent
forever
and take refuge in the
shelter of your wings. Selah
-Psalm 61:1-4
And though the days are long and uncertain, I will continue to take refuge in shelter of my Fathers wings.
It was a 110 degrees and I was driving across town in my car that unfortunately has no air conditioning. Hot and sweaty with both windows down, my shirt sticking to my back...and this song came on the radio. It started slowly but by the time the refrain hit I had it playing full blast, singing for all I was worth and keeping time with my hand on the roof. Tears of pure joy flowed down my face as I forgot all about the heat and my momentary discomfort as I sang and worshiped. How amazing that the God of all should bestow grace and forgiveness on us, that we can be reconciled to him and call him Father!
I'm so grateful for his freely given grace... as refreshing as a sudden rain in the blistering heat of the desert that is this present world.
When the song was over and a slower one started, I suddenly realized that I'd been worshiping as I do at home or in church driving down the freeway with people all around. I laughed to myself, remembering how David danced in front of the ark of the covenant and was criticized by his own wife. But when the Lord fills us up, it can't help but bubble up and spill out. In a "let it all hang out" world, I'm not ashamed to sing to him on the freeway! You can't come up from behind my car without seeing the sticker on the back that makes my allegiance clear.
Here's what Paul tells us:
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 everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace that transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.-Philippians 4:4-7
Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; the sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name." Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!- Psalm 66: 1-5
So let your joy shine so that you reflect the light of the world...a world that is starving for a Savior.
Wishing you blessings.
Have you been watching the Olympics?
Most of the world has been watching with fascination. Watching them perform it's immediately apparent that although each one has an immense talent, they have given countless hours perfecting and honing it. Year after year they were up before dawn, practicing endlessly, sweating it out, pounding their bodies and spirits into perfection. Throughout their careers they have doubtless made mistakes but gotten back up and gathered their dignity and tried again, working toward perfection.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-26 Paul says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air."
We are soldiers for our Lord. We are subject to spiritual storms and an enemy that is crafty, sneaky, and bites us with his sharp fangs in our soft spots. But we have an advantage in that we have the Almighty God on our side. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.-Ephesians 6:10-12
So how do we run and train spiritually for the battles we face?
It takes daily training. If you wanted Olympic gold, you surely wouldn't practice only on Sundays! :) So, we train every day. We train in heartfelt, sincere prayer; confessing, praising, submitting our all. By holding nothing back. We train by reading Gods written word: memorizing it, meditating upon it, making changes in our lives as we discover what he asks of us. We are called to live a life victorious through the Holy Spirit who lives within us and gives us the strength to do the impossible.
And when we run and train hard, letting the Spirit pour through us, the world around us will notice. They will feel the love of the Father that flows through us, and we will have no fear or shame in sharing what it is that makes us different.
God gave you a talent. Whether it's teaching, encouraging, singing, praying for others, use your talent and train as though for the gold. And above all else, whatever talent we possess, remember the lesson of 1 Corinthians 13:13. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Do all in love. Run so that at the end of your race, your Father will tell you, "well done."
Father, please fill us with your Spirit. Light our hearts on fire, and strengthen us to do your will in all things.
Help us to run like the wind for your kingdom. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Wishing you blessings.
I'm the mother of four grown children, and I would have to say that although raising them was at times very challenging, I love them so dearly, so deeply, that there isn't anything I wouldn't do for them.
When they were little, they were so cute; watching them learn to walk, to talk, and to develop their own distinct personalities. And now I'm privileged to see my oldest two raising their own children. It's so funny to hear the echos of things I've taught them that they are now passing on themselves. There were times in their adolescence that tried the very limits of my patience, but I still loved them.
As I was reading these verses, it occurred to me how very much our Father must love us to call us his children. What an honor, what a blessing, what joy, to know that he loves us this much. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.-John 1:12-13.
When I think back on my own life and the struggles I've had, I must have been a very difficult child of God at times. But as a mother and father know their children intimately and continue to love them, so does our Father in heaven. After all, he created each of us unique; he knows our strengths and he knows our weaknesses. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.- Psalm 139:13-14 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!...-1John 3:1
How great a love indeed.
As always, wishing you all blessings.
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you have me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'-Matthew 25:34-40 It's easy to walk on by. Maybe sometimes we drop a few coins or even a dollar in their cup. But as children of God, we have more to give, something infinitely more precious. Hope. We can stop for a moment and talk with them; look them in their eyes, ask their name, and ask if there is something we can pray for for them. I usually ask if I can pray with them right there or if they'd be more comfortable if I did it later. If they'll let me, I simply take their hands in mine and pray right then and there. And trust me in this: I'm the one who walks away blessed. .Every one of these people are children of God. Remember, love is action: it doesn't take much to offer prayer, and then come back with a sandwich and a bottle of cold water. We need to see them through the eyes of our Father, and when we do, we'll see them much differently. We'll see them through eyes of love.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak- Isaiah 40:29
Father, for those who have nothing...please use us, the body of Christ on earth to continue your work in caring for the poor and needy.
So, which is the most important? Jesus answered this in Matthew:
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:34-40 Under the Law, there were 613 rules to live by. I love how Jesus was able to simplify Law down to these two! "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."-John 15:9-12 The outward sign of our relationship with our Father should be love. Not just for those who love us, but for all. In my recent post "Make my life a song" I included a video called Proof of Your Love by For King and Country that makes 1 Corinthians 13, the classic definition of love, into a song. If you haven't heard it, take a listen. Love is what should define us. The world tends to view the church as judgmental finger pointers, and there is unfortunately some truth to that. But we would do well to remember Matthew 7:1-2: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, your will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." I believe I'll leave the judging to the one whose job it is to do that when the time has come. Our job is to spend our time here loving the people who cross our paths. We often never know the stories of the people we come across in passing. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say that those who are homeless "chose" to be so. Maybe. But 23 years ago I was homeless myself and there was a whole lot more to the story.
Here's some encouragement, straight from the Word: Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.-Psalm 96:2 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.-Psalm 28:7 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. -Psalm 100:5 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.- 2 Corinthians 4:17 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!- 1 John 3:1 For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. -Ephesians 3:14-20
Be blessed and rejoice, you who are children of the King! And if you're not, he's knocking on the door to your heart right now, ready to forgive you, fill you with the Holy Spirit and fill your life with a love that is unimaginable. Click on the link "salvation."
Father, make my life a song
A song to you of my love
Let me do your will here
As it's done above
Let me show kindness
All to bring glory to you
Let me bring hope to others
In all that I say and do
You're my strength
My rock and my shield
Make my life a song
In love, to you I yield
And as I go forth
Let me reflect your spirit
Drawing others to you
To all who will hear it
Father, make my life a song
A song to you of my love
Until we are reunited
In our home, above
And though I love you
From the depths of my soul
You loved me first
And your love made me whole
I've been hearing this song by Newworldson quite a bit lately on Christian radio, and I wanted to share it with you. It talks about to learning to live the Christian life, and it's really upbeat. The Bible often contrasts life without God as being in darkness, and walking with him as walking in the light, and I think that it's a perfect analogy. Without him we are stumbling around our lives, trying the best we can, but we can't see where we are going. We can easily walk right off the edge of a cliff, and often times do. But when we let him in we see his purpose and plan. It's the difference between night and day.
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6
Keep walking in the light, and let it shine before all men! Being able to step from darkness to light is a gift too precious not to share.
One of the great things about being Christian is being sure of where we're going after this life. It's such a comfort to know that the trials we all go through are a temporary circumstance, and one day we'll see him face to face. What a day that will be! We get a glimpse of what it will be like in Revelation 21:3-4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning of crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
I so look forward to that day! This current body of mine has quite a few health problems (I have gastroparesis syndrome, and I live with a tube coming out of my stomach.) What a joy it will be to get out of this body and into a perfect one. I've been ill with this syndrome for ten years and it has taught me a lot, especially patience, but I'll sure be happy to get a new one.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hears and strengthen you in every good deed and work.- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
And- Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.- Joshua 1:9
