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From a Distance

January 28, 2014 by juliebcosgrove

ID-100179760Coming over a hill the ribbon of road stretched to a highway far in the distance. Sunlight shone on the automobiles that zipped along it. They all glimmered like tiny drops of silver mercury rushing through an invisible tube. From that distance, it was hard to decipher which one was a brand new luxury car just off the lot and which ones were clunkers with dents and scrapes. I couldn’t tell if some were blue, black, white or red. I could barely determine if any were a truck or an SUV.They all looked the same.

So many people identify themselves with the cars they drive. The brand, the age, the style all seem to identify who they are and what life they lead. Ranchers and construction workers want that manly, hefty truck. What teenage boy, or middle-aged man, doesn’t desire a sporty one with a humming engine?  Moms with kids and too many errands want an SUV or a wagon. Business people want the luxury cars that symbolize they are important and successful. Yet from a distance, they all look alike.

“The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do.” Psalm 33.13-15 (NLT)

Unlike my human eyes, God sees the difference from a distance, and up close. But He doesn’t just look at the outside. He peers into the heart, where our true self-image lies. He isn’t fooled by the material objects we gather around us the way kids herd fluffy soap bubbles in a bathtub.

How do you want people to see you? Are you being defined by the material things you have accumulated–or not yet done so but covet? Or, are you being defined by the way God is refining you into something more precious than gold? Does your validity depend on the precious metals, jewels and stocks  in your portfolio, or by the fact that your wallet always seems  empty? Or is your wealth an inner one, knowing that you are like a pearl of inestimable price worth dying for to your Lord and Savior?

How do people look at you? Will you just be another glimmering drop in the sea of humanity, like those cars on the highway I saw from a distance? Or will you be a beacon that shines from within because of Christ’s light burning inside of you?

Today, as I looked in the distance onto a highway, God reminded me the important things in life are not the material ones. In what way has God spoken to you today?

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Is Your Thorn a Pain or an Aid?

January 23, 2014 by juliebcosgrove

I read this in a blog I follow by Lori Benka –

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 says:

“Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

ID-100169178Let me give you a little background about Paul leading up to this verse. Scripture tells us that Paul was a great man of God. His ministry was growing and he performed many miracles through the power of Christ. But we see that Paul had something that was bothering him.  It bothered Paul so much that he prayed three times for it to be removed. We are told about this “thorn in the flesh” that was very grievous to Paul.  It is uncertain what the “thorn in the flesh” was, but many scholars believe it could have been acute bodily pain or sickness.  Some even believe it could have been spiritual in nature – such as a temptation or persecution from an individual that constantly harassed Paul.  In any case, He was growing very distressed.

After Paul prayed three times for this thorn to be removed, we see that God didn’t remove it.  It is at this point that I ask myself why didn’t God answer Paul’s prayer? He was a faithful servant full of faith and yet, God didn’t remove the very thing that was distressing him the most.  God’s answer to Paul is that His grace and strength would be sufficient for him to bear through the pain. Paul was drawing closer to God with his “thorn in the flesh.” Could it be that sometimes our prayers are not answered quickly because God is wanting to use our circumstance to draw us closer to Himself?  

I think about a medical diagnosis that I have been praying about for thirteen years to be taken away. I don’t like the pain and uncertainty that comes along with the disease. But as I look back, I realized that every time I would have a flare up, I would begin to press into God more by praying and reading the Bible. The “thorn” was actually bringing me closer to God.  I realized when I was weak and feeling like I couldn’t go on anymore, was when God would demonstrate His power to me the most. God’s grace flooded over me to allow me to push through my circumstances.  Although unpleasant, I begin to see that my “thorns” act as an aid rather than a handicap….

What amazing insight! Please read the rest of her blog at http://lorilbenka.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/why-wont-you-remove-this-thorn-lord/#like-320. It will bless you! And if you know someone in pain right now, share this with them. It just may be the comforting thing they need to hear.

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Your Nose Knows

January 21, 2014 by juliebcosgrove

“This reminds me of something I like. I’m not sure what it is.” He crinkled his nose and took another whiff. With a shrug he handed me the jar. “Do you know?”

ID-10039150A friend of mine sells scented waxes, soaps and sprays. Last night, she, my son and I gathered around the dining room table and sniffed sample jar after sample jar. Some we loved, some made us shake our heads and hold our breath. “Not for me, thank you.”

Some smelled so good I’d be ravenous all day if I had a constant whiff of them – pralines, cinnamon buns, sugar cookies, apple pie.

Some smelled like different things to us. “Oh, this reminds me of…” The others would sniff, scrunch their eyebrows and give their head a quick shake. “Really? I don’t smell that. To me, it smells more like…”

A few sparked a vivid memory.A whiff of one reminded me of my mother’s perfume. Though her temporal life ceased on earth over a decade ago, tears sprang into my eyes. I hadn’t expected that sharp of an emotion. 

I have read that our sense of smell is one of the most powerful triggers to our memories. A sudden scent can bring back stabs of pain, tears of joy, or a heart-clenched fear. It may jolt an emotion filed so far back in our little grey cells that it catches us by surprise.

My son and I have shared memories, as do my friend and I. Some of the fragrances related to all of us. We could smile and click into the memory together. “Yeah, that’s it.” But, for some of the others our noses detected, our reactions to them differed. Only we knew what our noses sensed.

To me, Scripture is like that. There are some which make us all smile and nod. But, a few, when read, may fall flat on our ears. We can’t relate. Even so, every now and then, a verse triggers an emotion. Joy, conviction, humility, reaffirmation. It is as God tapped on our soul and said, “This one’s for you today.”  Amongst the black printed letters on a white page, or blinking cursor on the computer screen, lies a special message just for us. It triggers something in us–just us.

Have you found God’s whisper through a verse in the Bible? Did it touch your heart? Please share it. It may be the catalyst that triggers the scent of His love– the exact thing another person needs to experience today.

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Form the V

January 17, 2014 by juliebcosgrove

ID-10029292I looked up as I drove down the highway and saw geese in a V formation. I thought, “Wow. Odd time of year to see them. It’s the middle of January. They migrate in the autumn, right?”

A chill, like a million microscopic, icy-footed ants, jumped from my heart and dashed down to my hands as they gripped the steering wheel. What I saw was an answer to prayer. I found God today in the V formation of the geese.

Geese fly in a V to conserve energy for the long trip. Their leader is at the point of the V. But, after a while, that leader tires of fighting the wind currents. It drops back and another takes over. The other geese support the tired one. The V formation continues, and so does their journey.

So should be the same for us Christians, no matter our ministry. I will admit it. I am tired – emotionally, physically and a bit spiritually. I’ve been flapping my wings like mad as the leader in several organizations. It shows in the darkening circles under my eyes. 

Through these geese, God revealed to me it is time for me to drop back and let someone else take over. “But Lord,” I asked. “My terms as president is not over for 5 months in one organization, and a year in another. There is still a long journey ahead.”

Suddenly, one of the geese flew to the front of the V. I watched as the leader dropped back a pace or two, but not to the end of the line. It positioned itself near the front, just behind a place or two. I had my answer.

Oh, yeah, My Lord is the one who should take over at the tip of the V. He’s the one who never tires, controls the wind, and always knows the direction we are going. Somewhere along the way, I’d lost sight of that fact. I’d been flapping so hard,my head was downcast against the winds–my eyes squeezed tight in determination, my teeth clamped together as I trudged on. No wonder I’ve been so tense… and exhausted. God made me realize (again) that I am not flying this journey alone. He didn’t say,. “Here – it’s yours. See you later.” He’s been flying there with me the whole time.

 My Savior whispered into my heart, ” Drop back and let me take over now. It’s not because you’ve failed, it is because you have succeeded.” In His quiet way, God told me It’s okay for me to rest my wings for a time- under the momentum of His mighty ones. I need to recuperate- to be carried by the current of His grace. In fact, isn’t that where I should have been all along? Humility washed over me as my eyes teared. I whispered back, “Thank you,Lord.”

 If I am to complete the journey of leadership in which He placed me, I need to let Him take over. First, because He needs to be in control, not me. Second, so I can replenish my strength and pace this journey by following His lead. That way, I will not only be more able to prepare others to lead when the time comes, but show them, by example, the benefits of letting Him lead.

V is for victory…and vacation. It is not for vainglory. We don’t need to be busy,busy, busy all the time to be good Christians. (Recall the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42?)  God gave us rest, patterned after Himself on the seventh day of creation. I need to rest in Him so I can prepare for:

  • the continuation of this journey,  
  • the next ministry He wants to train me up in as these leadership positions come to an end,
  • and, so I can support the new leaders He will raise up to flap ahead of me in the future. 

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5

He will keep the momentum going as long as He wants the journey to last. That is not my job. I just need to flap in sync with Him and encourage the others behind me to do the same.

Where in your life do you need to drop back and let God lead a while? Are you willing to let someone else be ahead of you?

 

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Who Controls Whom?

January 15, 2014 by juliebcosgrove

Today, I read a daily devotional from Power to Change. It is written by Shelaine Strom. She talks about how quickly, often without warning, the weather can change on the lake shore where her cabin rests. Even though she knows that place so well, she is still in awe of that phenomenon:

“And so it is in my relationship with the Lord. He is the mighty rushing wind that takes my breath away with His strength and power to heal and change lives. He is the gentle breeze that nudges me to speak or act, giving counsel and direction. He is the quiet voice whispering love and forever-presence in the still moments of an unhurried life. And He is more.”

see the whole devotional at http://powertochange.com/blogposts/2014/01/15/more-than-i-know/ 
 (I get one in my email box each morning for free- you can as well.) 
 

Our riverTucked in the Texas Hill Country my family has a summer cabin on a bluff overlooking the Guadalupe River. The river can be still and as smooth as glass, or it can dance with glistening ripples like a million microscopic Tinker Bells. Serene, peaceful, refreshing, heavenly… until a sudden roar can bring a wall of water, from a deluge upstream, crashing down on left-behind inner-tubes, kayaks, and lawn chairs.

Destructive? Yes. I have seen it bend mighty cypresses like sipping straws. But the land recovers, and often, the silt left behind replenishes the eroded soil and actually helps the grass to flourish and grow. Underbrush is pruned with one swish of the swirling undercurrent so saplings can stretch their limbs and roots.

In a few days, the flood is over. The milk-chocolate turmoil returns to its peaceful aqua-green, ripply state. The banks again contain the river’s flow. The quickly moving current slows once more to a lazy pace, waiting to be tickled by the breeze.

I cannot control that river. No one except God can, though some foolish folks who build along the banks think they are able to with makeshift dams and terracing. They try, in vain of course, to manipulate it’s path. But, the river has a power all its own. All you can do is respect it and let it do its thing.

I cannot control God. But one thing I have learned, I can cope with life better if I let Him control me instead of trying to manipulate Him to do things my way. Whatever happens in my life–in the quiet times and in the roaring, take-cover tempests–He is at work, eventually bringing it all into good purpose. Even when it seems my life is uncontrollably spilling over the banks, I know His mighty hands are cupping it and directing it’s flow.

May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.   Psalm 72:8

And my place? Sheltered where He wants me to be, on my knees, in patient awe. I am learning to be more of the spectator of His mighty power in my life, just I have learned to respect the river. Yes, our Lord wants us involved in the directions our lives are to go- we are not puppets on a string.  But to go against the flow of His holy current or the power of His mighty wind is futile, frustrating and foolhardy. Yet, how often do we try, just like the riverbank dwellers? We block His flow in our souls. We build walls to keep Him out. We terrace our payers with conditions and plea bargaining.

Each time I gaze out over that river, or soak my toes in its cool, spring-fed current, its majestic power and grand beauty reminds my soul of the One who created it.  

He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river.   Ezekiel 47:6

 
Shelaine sees Him on the lake where she lives. 
Where do you find God today?  I’d love for you to comment and let me, and other readers, know. 

 

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In the eyes of women

January 12, 2014 by juliebcosgrove

ID-10032011Where did I see God today? It was in the eyes of several women.

I saw Him dancing in the eyes of an elderly woman who still loves life, even though she limps with a cane. She puts others ahead of herself in conversations, in deeds, and in her prayers.

I saw God in another woman who is in her second year of widowhood.Her shoulders aligned a bit straighter. Her mannerisms appeared more settled and relaxed, and laughter glistened in her eyes. Being a widow myself, it is always good to see another who has scaled the steep walls of the grave’s grief and is now basking above in the sunshine of God’s care.

And I saw God in the eyes of a dear friend and her husband who went through a horrendous car accident and spent weeks in recovery. My heart warmed as they exchanged the glances of a deeply committed love while playing with their grandchild.

Finally I saw My Lord in the smiles of a single mom who has finally learned if you place Christ first in your life, then all else will fall into place- kids, finances, even loneliness in the middle of the night.

All very different women. Yet all have one thing in common- a blossomed faith that has enabled them to overcome the circumstances life has dealt them. All, like me, had been weak but are now strong in Christ because they chose to yoke to Him and have let Him carry their burdens.

Knowing of their pasts, as I witness each stroll the path God had given them with joy in their faces and peace in their countenance, it has strengthened my walk with Him as well.

Where do I see God? At work in these women whom I cherish. I thank Him for letting our paths intersect.

When faced with a ID-10031659challenge in your life, which path will you choose? The one in which you try to handle it on your own, or the ones these wise women took?

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me for You are God My Savior and my hope is in You all day long.   Psalm 24:4-5

 

 

 

 

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But, I’m Not Worthy

January 9, 2014 by juliebcosgrove

John stands knee-deep in the river, day after day. He feels this inner fervency to draw people to repent. So much so that he lives off the land and sleeps under the stars. Relentlessly, he cries out, taking no notice of how he is received.  Maybe, just maybe a few will respond.

Then, one day, the Son of BaptismOfJesusByJohn-787653God,  for whom he has been preparing others to receive, arrives and wants to be baptized as well. John says, “Uh, no. You are the one who should be doing this to me. I am not worthy to untie your sandals.”

But Jesus tells him this is what must be done, and there is purpose in it.   I can picture him as he looked into John’s eyes. I almost hear him say, “Trust me on this. You have to do this. You’ll see why in a minute.”

As he is baptized,  the Holy Spirit comes to bolster Jesus through the next three years of grueling ministry.  God anoints Him for the task. He confirms that Jesus is His Son.

Jesus’ baptism has another purpose as well. It’s is also a foreshadowing of Jesus passing that same Holy Spirit on to each believer who is baptized in His name and receives Him into their lives.  While John baptized for repentance of sins, Jesus takes that and turns it into so much more. John’s baptisms was temporary and temporal.  Jesus’s obedience turned it into a divine and eternal action of our loving and willing-to-forgive Father in Heaven.

Have you ever felt inadequate for a ministry God has called you to do?  Then you can relate to John. But just as Jesus told John that what he was asking him to do was purposeful and necessary, so He tells you. Just do it, trust and then watch what happens. Christ can take your simple acts of obedient talent and manifest Himself into them so they become  significantly more than you ever imagined.. He did it with water jugs at a wedding, with a boy’s meal of fish and bread, and with two pieces of wood tied to make a cross bar in which to punish thieves and murderers.

So, do what Christ is calling you to do, no matter how insignificant it makes you feel. Obey His command. Perhaps the skies won’t open up and an illuminated dove descend. But God will nod and say, “This is my child, with whom I am well pleased.”

 

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Seek or Squint?

January 7, 2014 by juliebcosgrove

 

ID-10036313

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.    Isaiah 60:1-3

How do you react when a bright light hits your eyes?  If it hits you too soon all at once, you  see nothing but the aura of the light. You may feel blinded and disorientated. Do you cover your eyes to block it out? Or, do you blink and squint as you wait for your pupils to adjust before you can take it all in?  I guess it depends on if you want to(pardon the 1970’s era pun, man) see the light or not.

For  many out there, Christ, the way some reveal Him, can just too bright for them. They are used to the darkness. So they won’t look. They turn their heads away. To try to gaze on Him can ache. His brightness makes them adjust how they see things. Why bother? 

But, two millennia ago, three kings, a.k.a. wise men, did look – and follow.  But you see, they had been searching a while. They had heard of the prophecies. They wanted to see the King of kings. They had trained their eyes to scan the heavens. Then they found a star which was brighter than the others, enough to be noticeable,  to lead them down that path. It took a while. Even then, when they found Jesus, he was not what they expected. 

I think too often we Christians blast our non-believing acquaintances with too much light too soon. They feel as if they are in a police interrogation room. They become defensive, nervous. Afraid their wrongdoings will be exposed, they squirm, look away, or refuse to react at all. True, it worked for Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, but that is not the norm. He was a radical man embarked on a radical ministry. He needed a radical experience to jolt him into changing directions. Most people are not that way.

God didn’t blind the earth with light to announce His coming. He spoke through prophets and told the people to watch for the signs. In His perfect timing, He sent a light in the sky pointing to Himself in the form of a human. Gradually over time, that Light shone in Him brighter and brighter as He grew into manhood, walked, talked, ate, healed, forgave and died.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 

That should be our example. Speak it, yes, but most of all  live it out.  Show what you know– walk like you talk– live what you believe. Give the non-believers’ eyes time to adjust. Those who have seen the signs and are searching will follow. The others may turn away for now, but most likely they will be drawn to look again at another time. 

Epiphany means to reveal. I think evangelism should be an everyday event–the natural outgrowth of our life in Christ. If we are living out the Gospel, then people adjust to that and it won’t seem so harsh and glaring. They will see Him softly shining through our attitudes towards our everyday ups and downs. They will see His love glisten through our actions as we put them, and others, before our own needs. They will see that we are different somehow. We have an unwavering strength and unconditional peace. Slowly, they will begin to watch, and then be drawn to Christ living in us, and finally follow.

Let’s not be a spotlight on their sins, but a warm-glowing  beacon that peaks their curiosity, and then, like the Epiphany star 2,000 years ago,  leads them to Him who can wash them white as snow. 

Shine, Jesus shine.???????????????????????????????????????

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Wonderfully Restored

January 6, 2014 by juliebcosgrove

IMG_20131230_081647_711My mother had a mahogany tier table in her living room. It had three lion-paw legs. Three round shelves, connected by spindles, were stacked in descending sized circles, like a wedding cake design. On it was all of her most precious figurines. Many, like the table, were from her mother and grandmother. I grew up knowing about the invisible barrier around that table. Look but don’t touch.

I tired to teach my rambunctious son that, but when he was playing pee-pie with his grandfather, the chasing and giggles led way to disaster. He tripped and grabbed for the first thing – yep, the tier table. Down it went on top of him.The figurines catapulted into the air and, in what seemed like slo-mo, crashed to the ground, rolling, breaking, shattering. My mother and I stopped breathing.

My son, being two, was in shock and then, as we lifted the table off of him, the trickled tears turned to wails.  I carried him off to examine the bumps and bruises, my mother in tow.  After all was well and boo-boos kissed, we returned to the living room to survey the damage. My mother kept whispering. “They’ re just baubles. Nothing compared to my grandson.”

There, at the dining room table sat my husband and my dad–newspapers spread between them, with tweezers, toothpicks, a magnifying glass and Elmer’s glue. They had separated the pieces into piles and were painstakingly gluing back on fingers, noses and other porcelain body parts. It took them hours that weekend, but all but one figurine was restored.

Mom began to cry as they placed them back on the up-righted tier table. I told her. “I am so sorry. I know they have all lost their value.”

Through watery eyes she whispered, “Oh, no. Now they are more precious than ever.”

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored,
the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of
him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus
Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.   (Collect for the 2nd Sunday in Christmas)

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And now for the rest…

December 30, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

I saw this on Facebook –

1487304_10202985527502930_829738040_nWant peace? Well, does God’s favor rest upon you?

It does, if you stay still and let it pour down upon you. I see God’s favor raining down from Heaven like a soft, spring shower onto a dry, winter-beaten, parched land. It is freely given, but do we take advantage of it?

When rain comes,  how many of us dash for cover as the first plop hits the pavement?  Or do we grab an umbrella to keep from getting drenched and trudge through it, grumbling? Or hold something over our head to ward off the rain drops from spotting our good clothes and messing up our hair?

Or, do we dance in the puddles and laugh? Twirl carefree in the spray as others shake their heads and click their teeth at us. It probably depends on what’s on our minds at the time, right? Does the rain interrupt our agenda?ID-1004856

Now, how often do we miss God’s favor because we try to cover ourselves with the umbrella of pride, or with the covering of prejudice, or with a raincoat of self-reliance?  How often are we determined to do it our way,depend on our own defenses? How often do we anticipate the worse when we see the clouds rolling in and assume it will mess up our day?

ID-100169595Have you seen flowers in the rain? Their petals get wet. They may bend to the ground as the drops splatter them. But, the rains soaks deep into their roots, and the water seeps into their leaves. After the shower passes, they stretch towards the out-coming sun and, now washed clean, their petals are more colorful. With the dust and dirt rinsed away, their leaves can soak in the benefits of the sun. They did nothing to receive the rain and the sun. But they soak both in when it is given and thrive.

Before the rainbow, the rain must come. Both are from God. Both are freely given for our benefits, and like the flowers, we must receive them in order to be filled with peace. It is only when we give God the glory in all circumstances that we open our souls to receive his favor.God is not just a fair-weathered friend.

This new year- choose to welcome God in your life- rain or shine. ID-100141400No matter the weather brewing in your souls, open yourselves to Christ. Drench yourself in His favor. He loves you- glorify Him for that. Soak in the Son and receive His benefits. Even if you can’t see their purpose, they will be revealed. Trust that He is with you – Emmanuel.

Now, that’s peace. Rest assured.

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Psalm 62:1

 

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