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When Do You Give Thanks?

November 27, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

” Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this one foreigner?’ ”  Luke 17:17-18

I really do not think the other nine lepers were ungrateful or rude. Leprosy was a horrible disease. Not only did it eat away your skin, but it ate away your existence in the community. You could not associate with anyone. Your spouse or your children could not get near you to hug you. It was a very lonely and isolating disease.

My guess is that the other nine dashed away rejoicing and seeking their friends and families. Their arms had ached for their loved ones and now miracles of miracles they could hold them. They wanted everyone to share in their joy. Perhaps they even gave the credit to this man Jesus whom they met on the road.

When things are “eating me”, I can feel isolated if  I let myself get in a slump and throw a pity party. When I receive God’s mercy and grace, I, too, want to run and tell everyone, “Look what happened. Look what God did!”  When I know people have been praying for me, I want to tell them their prayers were heard. I certainly want to hear that from others I’ve been praying for. Then when things calm down, I go to my closet and thank my Lord for His wondrous love.

Have I been praising Him to others before I take time to praise and thank Him? Probably. Like a  child who gets the Christmas present they earnestly desired, how often have I ripped open God’s blessings wrapped especially me, gasped, bounced up and down in excitement and joy, and then dashed off to enjoy it without hugging my Daddy around the neck and thanking him?

Heavenly Father, forgive me for not turning to You and thanking you immediately for the gifts you bestow on me – your healing mercy, love and grace.  Forgive me for not sharing my joy with you first and foremost as ID-10067151quickly as I  share my sorrow and distress. I do praise You and love You and need You daily in my life. Cleanse me from whatever is eating me and remind me that I need to lay it all at the foot of the Cross in praise and thanksgiving- good and bad – because all is Yours and all is for purpose. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Just Be

November 25, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

Be still and know that I am God.   Psalm 46:10

At a church women’s conference, a new friend shared with me a more meaningful way to read this way-too familiar Woman Meditatingverse. Sometimes we hear a Scriptural verse so often, it loses its impact.  Take John 3:16.

This was true for me for Psalm 46:10. I have it on my bulletin board near my computer and see it every day, yet way too often I do not be still. In fact, I am anything but that. I know He is God, but do I let that absorb deep into my soul? Breaking down the verse as she showed me renewed its meaning.

Be still and know that I AM . . . Even though I know He is God, do I let Him be God over my life, or do I, more often than not, put Him on the back burner until I need His presence? He is my Father and Provider, My Lord and Savior, Omnipotent Creator, King of all kings. When Moses asked Him what His name was, God replied I AM. Jesus told the Pharisees that before there was Abraham I AM. He is here and now, not just in the Bible stories of the past. He is forever present, be it two thousand years ago or two thousand years from now. There is nothing that is more powerful than He, and He is in control.

Be still and know . . . know not just with my brain, but with every fiber of my being. To know is to be certain, without a shadow of a doubt, or an ounce of hesitancy. We say, “I know for a fact . . .” when we are adamant about something.  Do I know God?  How can I know Him better? The answer is simple – by spending time with Him. That requires that sometimes I don’t do all the talking in my prayer life, but I stop and listen.  And to listen, I must . . .

Be still. . . How very easy, and yet very hard.  To be still is also for me to be silent. Silence is hard to achieve in today’s world. We are surrounded by noise. But often it is only in silence that we can hear the powerful voice inside of us that we know is not from us. Being still requires effort, a conscious act of not being distracted. But, when you get right down to the heart of the matter, this is where you can find God and understand He has always been right there.

Be – that is all God requires of us. We just need to be what we were created to be. Jesus’ death on the cross restored the relationship of man to God before the Fall of Adam and Eve. It returns us, through Christ’s blood, to our natural state of grace once we accept Him as Savior  . But, our human nature mucks that up, doesn’t it? So, we need to remember to just be. Our merciful God accepts us as we are, with all our short comings and all our faults, and through the eyes of His Son, sees us as pure, blameless and made worthy when we come into His presence and ask for forgiveness. We don’t need to be perfect- Christ makes us that way.  We only need to be willing to “be”.

If a Bible verse starts to lose its impact, dissect it down. Read each word and find new meaning, with God’s help. Scripture is alive and breathing with His Spirit. We are not to just read it, but to digest it, make it a part of us, and live it.

Heavenly Lord, breathe in us the desire to know You more and more. Instill in our hurried state the yearning to be still, and to be content to just be, knowing that in You we are made complete. Amen.

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The Time I Refused to Wash My Hand

November 21, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

This is my true story – I can’t believe it has been fifty years…

It was 1963 and school buzzed with excitement. I wore my Sunday best, just as the teacher told us, with two petticoats billowing my skirt like an umbrella, and my lace-edged socks peeking up over my shiny black patent leather Mary Jane shoes. Mommy made me wear my finest sweater with pearled buttons and roses embroidered on the front.

The bell sounded and, just as we practiced twice, we paraded single file across the playground and through the chain-link fence to stand along Broadway. Fifth graders lined up first, then on down the line to the kindergarteners. I was nine, so my class was in the middle. Teachers handed out little American flags for us to wave. We waited. The sun bared down on us from a cloudless sky—it was November, and that meant Indian summer in Texas. I sweltered in my sweater. Excitement mounted when we heard the roar of motorcycles and the honking horns coming around the bend.

San Antonio, Texas was known for parades, because every year there was a celebration of Texas Independence called Fiesta Week. Bands marched as twirlers tossed their batons high in the air. King Antonio rode by in his Cadillac convertible and threw Fiesta coins and candy for the school children. But today wasn’t anything like that. Today, President Kennedy was coming.

“I wonder what color it will be?”  Sherry, my best and fashion conscious friend asked.

“What?” I had to yell over the din of the motorcade.

“Jackie’s pill box hat. Think it will be pink? Maybe blue, like a robin’s egg.”

I barely had time to respond when there she was, prettier in person than on television, waving next to her husband—the President of the United States. And Governor Connolly, too. I sucked in my breath.

The motorcade stopped. President Kennedy got out, walked over to our class and shook children’s hands. Jackie followed, smiling. So did men in sun glasses and dark suits. They were not smiling. The President shook my hand. I dropped my little flag. My teacher picked it up and whispered some stern words. I didn’t care. I still felt his strong, warm grip.

I had heard about people who meet movie stars and didn’t wash their hand for a week. I figured a president deserved at least a month, but I doubted my mother would approve. Still, she agreed to make an exception and excused me from washing my hand that evening at dinner. When I took my bath before bed, I held my hand on my head so it wouldn’t get wet. The next morning, I didn’t wash it for breakfast either.

When I went to school I was determined to keep that hand as clean as possible. Since it was my writing hand, I knew that wouldn’t easy. In fourth grade, we were using real ink cartridge pens instead of pencils. I didn’t want to smudge my thumb. When we stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, I put that hand over my heart and felt extra proud.

Then, during Spelling time, the principal announced over the loud speaker for all children to report to the auditorium and all teachers to come to his office. Dutifully, we filed into the lecture hall, seated in assigned rows as we always did for assembly. We sat in silence wondering what was going on. A few students dared to whisper. The wooden curved back of the  auditorium chair no longer felt cool on my spine. The upholstered seat itched under my knees. My feet were too short to touch the floor so I swung my legs back and forth to keep them from tingling. 

The doors to the auditorium opened. I turned and squinted as the light from the hall pierced the darkened room. Our teachers walked slowly down the aisles. Several were crying. My teacher blew her nose into her laced handkerchief and stood silently besides our class. The principal stepped to the stage.

“Children. May I have your attention.” His voice cracked. It didn’t sound like him. He cleared his throat.

“Today in Dallas, the President was shot. He is dead.”

Sherry grabbed my hand. I squeezed back, then looked down. I remembered the feel of his big hand on mine and I was glad I hadn’t washed it.

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Divided and Enslaved

November 20, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your
well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that
the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and
brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

 

If you ever watched one of the Three Musketeer movies, you’d see them all with swords raised high and points touching as they cried, “All for one and one for all.”  Another saying, often used for the United States, is “united we stand, divided we fall.”

Satan wishes to divide. God wants to re-unite us back to the right relationship before sin entered the human heart. That is the story from Genesis through Revelation, and on into today. But why does sin divide and enslave?

Sin divides because it causes each person to put him or herself as the center of focus. I once heard a speaker on a retreat say both sin and pride have “i” in the middle. But the other deadly sins focus on the “me want” factor as well-  gluttony, envy, greed, wrath, slothfulness. Lying has “i” in the middle as well, doesn’t it? People lie to try to get out of messes they have caused, or to look more important out of envy and low self-worth. The more people do it, the stronger the chains of sin wrap around them, making it harder to break free.

Yet, through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, He comes to restore each of us back to a state of grace- free from sin. He frees us from the guilt, the anger, the isolation, the misguided pride that so often rule our thoughts and actions. Of course, this is still a daily battle  because our human nature wants to crawl back into those chains. Why? It is the norm. Change takes effort. But God knows that- that is why He sent His Spirit to guide, correct and comfort us in this effort.

With Christ as our center, our focus is now off ourselves. It is on loving God and our neighbor (the two greatest commandments onto which all else is hinged). Some call it servitude attitude. Since all find worth in Him- all have a common bond, so there is no more envy or greed, pride or a need to lie.Low self esteem won’t lead to gluttony or slothfulness.

As Chris Tomlin sings in his version of Amazing Grace from the movie by the same name- “these chains are gone, we have been set free.”

Click on it. Listen, and then pray. Be released.

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Mapping Your Spiritual Journey

November 18, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

Finding your way back to God is a way to show He had never left you- great exercise by Shelly

Shelly's avatarDeeply Rooted in Him

Image

This past weekend I had the privilege of speaking at a retreat for the women of Grace Anglican Community. It was an amazing weekend with some wonderful women. We talked about mapping our spiritual journeys.

Jeremiah 31:21

“Set up road markers for yourself;
    make yourself guideposts;
consider well the highway,
    the road by which you went.
Return, O virgin Israel,
    return to these your cities.”

The Lord told those who were exiled to “set up road markers” and to make “guideposts” so they would be able to find their way back to their cities. In our lives when we find ourselves in a desert time, we have difficulty feeling connected to God. However, if you have created a spiritual map of your walk with the Lord you will be able to look back at the road markers and guideposts on your path and find your way back to Him.

To…

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Highway Theology

November 16, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

ID-10024045A major six-lane highway runs close to my apartment complex. But, that is not enough to handle the growing congestion. So, they are building new routes. Expansion construction will last for years. Each day, you are not really sure which direction the signs will lead you. Will there be a detour? Is your exit closed? I imagine they have a master plan, and are carrying it out step by step, but often, I wonder, “What are they doing?” It all looks like a tangled web of rubble and dirt to me.

Inevitably, especially when traffic is heavy, there will be a few people who ignore the signs. Then, they get stuck, and jam up everyone else. Why? Perhaps they want to go the way they are used to going, or they are too busy yakking on their cell phone to pay attention to the signs. Maybe they’re distracted by their tunes blasting through the radio, or zoned out as they re-hash their stressful day in their minds. Some try to make their own path, weaving through orange cones.

On the road of life, isn’t the same thing true? God gives us directional signs, but at times we ignore them, choose to not follow them, or are too distracted by everything else that grabs our attention to notice them. Then, we get stuck. We are not going the way we thought we were to go.

Is God showing you a directional sign that you are ignoring? It may ID-100126659be to slow down, turn here, or maybe even STOP!  Will you? Or are you in too much of a hurry trying to get where you think you need to go?

He may be pointing you in a direction you think detours you way off your normal path. Where is He taking you? Will you ever get to where you thought you were going?

On the road of life, you have to daily decide: who do you trust for directions? My way, or the High way.

 

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Have You Mooned Anyone?

November 13, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

Think back to your school days. What did you learn about the moon?

It revolved around the earth, which revolved around the sun.ID-10077869

It doesn’t have the ability on its own to create light, but the sun reflects off of it to shine upon the earth.

It goes through stages. Sometimes it is full of light, while at other times it is just a slivered crescent.

It makes the dark not so dark, but sometimes it even appears in the daytime, though then it is not so shiny.

It has pull on the tides, and some say on human behavior.

And of course, there is a man in it – or so it appears!

 

We Christians should be like the moon. We revolve around the Son and even though we are not of this world because our world is His Kingdom in Heaven, we are called to be His shining Light to this world. Our purpose is to reflect His love. Our Lord uses us to shine into the darkness of others’ lives. But even when their lives are fine and they do not think they need our directional light, we can still be hovering as an example that God is ever-present.

As the moon has pull on the tides, we have the ability to pull others to Christ. However, let’s be honest. Like the moon, we also go through phases, don’t we? Sometimes we are not so full of His Light as other times. But, we will always reflect Him in our lives, even if it is just a sliver. No matter what we are going through, or how sure our faith walk is at the moment, Jesus still is evident in our lives. We can still be a beacon to others trapped in darkness.

And just as people look up and envision a man in the moon, so can they envision the Son of Man in us.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Who have you “mooned” today?

 

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Vets- Thank You

November 11, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

If you served your country to ensure I can cherish the freedoms I have –

Thank you just isn’t enough of a response for all you sacrificed – in battle and afterwards. May the one who sacrificed Himself for us be a comforting presence in your hearts today, and always.

GOD BLESS YOU! You are in my prayers today.

pray for our nation

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If Only

November 8, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

A poem that touches every heart from Shelly. May you find God touching yours through her words.

Shelly's avatarDeeply Rooted in Him

Here is a poem I wrote about how different things would be if we put our trust in the Lord.

If Only

If only I trusted that I am worthy of love, I wouldn’t let people use and abuse me.

If only I trusted that I was chosen to be a child of God, I wouldn’t dwell so much on the times my earthly father disappointed me or hurt my feelings.

If only I trusted that I am God’s masterpiece, I wouldn’t believe what others have said about my appearance.

If only I trusted that I am holy and dearly loved, I wouldn’t listen to the hurtful comments people have said to me.

If only I believed I was an heir to the King of Kings, I wouldn’t spend so much time and energy trying to acquire material things.

If only I trusted that I belonged to a royal priesthood…

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Out on a limb

November 6, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

“Whoa, he  went way out on a limb with that proposal.” A businessman carrying a briefcase laughed as he left the boardroom.

His colleague shrugged, “Well, it must have been important to him, I guess. ”

To go out on a limb is to take a chance, isn’t it? One man in the Bible did that, literally. Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a better look at Jesus as He walked towards town.  Zacchaeus was too short to see over the crowds, so instead of putting about how unfair it was for God to make him that way,  he found an innovative, and somewhat risky way, to make sure he got a better view. It was that important to see Jesus. (Luke 19)

Are you willing to take such a daring action of faith to seek your Lord?  That as the question I heard in a recent sermon on this passage. Zaccheus crawled as far as he dared out onto a limb, the preacher suggested. Jesus noticed him for his faith.

Many of us believers become comfortable with Jesus after a while. We stay near the ground with our feet well planted in our daily lives. We enjoy the canopy of His grace, and seek protection there from the elements that may beat down on us – heat of controversy, storms of life, winds of change. We might even say God made us to be where we are, and since we are human, complain about that a bit too much.

ID-100210229What if we climbed up to get a better view of the way Jesus sees things? What if we risked standing out instead of blending into the crowd? If we stopped making excuses and turned them into opportunities?

What if we stretched ourselves, inch by inch out onto that limb, and even when it began to bend, held on because we knew that was where God would touch our lives in a new way?

The Good News is that Jesus meets us wherever we are.  We don’t have to win His attention. But what if, out of faith, we stretched ourselves  and scooted out of our norm ? We just might get a whole new perspective.

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