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A breath of fresh air

October 7, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

We knew it would happen, eventually. It always does. That didn’t make the waiting any easier or the day it arrived less exciting.

ID-10019954Finally the cold front barreled down and broke the sweltering summer temperatures.  A few rumbles of thunder, a welcomed rain storm, and a gust of wind ushered in the relief. It was as if the fridge door had finally been opened onto Texas. Everyone stood with eyes closed in long-awaited bliss and breathed in the coolness– ahhhh.

Windows were thrown open to let in the breeze. Joggers and their dogs scampered on the knolls. Sweaters were dug out of cedar chests and the back of closets. Kids skipped to the school bus.

When I came home, the AC hadn’t kicked on because it was not yet 78 inside, thanks to the cloud-cover and lower temps. But, since the house was still shut tight, it was stuffy and still. So, I dropped my purse and dashed to the windows to lift the sash. Immediately, the cool, fresh air billowed in through the curtains. I could almost hear my furniture heave a sigh of joy.

The Holy Spirit can be that same breath of fresh air in our lives, but – and this is key – we have to let Him in.  Before the Holy Spirit can refresh our lives, we have to throw open the windows of our souls. That means change. And good or bad, change is a scary thing to many people.

But what can be more exhilarating than to have your sins washed away by the Blood of the Lamb so His Spirit takes up residence? How invigorating to have Him sweep away all the stale and gloomy cobwebbed corners of your life with a swish of fresh, clean air!

You know it’s coming.  You know it will be glorious.  You see it ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????happening to others.  You witness them basking in the breath of the Spirit. So, go to your own life, open up your heart, and let Him in.

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Which way?

October 2, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

Have you ever come to a crossroads in your life?  It’s that tough decision between two or more choices you have to make.

You can’t go back. The past is the past.  But you can’t go ahead the way you had been either, because there are now several paths open to you.

Which do you choose?

Robert Frost wrote a poem called the Road Not Taken, and how choosing that lesser traveled path made all the difference in his life.

Jesus talks of the narrow road (Matthew 7:14) – and it, too, is the one fewer people choose to travel down.

But what if the signs are not that clear? You peer down and both seem narrow. Both veer off so you can’t see where they lead. Maybe both are filled with potholes?

Isaiah was given a clue – and your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” (vs.30:21)

ID-100146465So often we try to figure it out on our own. We expect God to send up smoke signals, or leave a piece of thread dangling on a branch. Maybe a footprint or two would help.  Bread crumbs?

When, all we need to do is stop, ask, and then listen.  The answer may not come right away. That doesn’t give us permission shrug it off and trek out on our own.

If we wait patiently, we may see a barricade pop up, or see sunbeams shine down on the direction we need to go. We may even see one way disappear entirely, as if it was a mirage.

Or, we may just hear that voice inside of us, which we know is not our own, whisper, “Go this way my child. It is the way I’ve prepared for you.”

One thing is certain. God will always go with us, no matter what direction we choose –even if we choose poorly. All we need to do is ask.

After all, no matter where life leads,  one thing remains the same.  Jesus is The Way.

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Running Into It

September 30, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

Black letters on an illuminated white screen. The Bible verse of the Day on my phone app.  Simple verse, powerful message:

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10

Paul tells us that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess the name of Jesus.  (Philippians 2:11) But, on the street today, it seems the average person either rolls their eyes or gets glassy-eyed if Jesus is mentioned. Some wrinkle their brows and just walk away.

Yet, He is our refuge. We can run into His arms and be held. He still calms storms – the ones that rage inside of us.  Whengods-love-2[1] the world is shaking us up, we can dash to Him and He will give us something firm to hold onto during the tremors.

We can call on the name of Jesus in our prayers and watch the enemy flee with his hands over his ears.

We can whisper it in the dark, or shout it in praise with hands lifted.

There is truly power in His name.

Call on him, hear Him say, “Here- I AM.”  Run into His arms of love- the one He stretched out on the cross for you.

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Plug In

September 26, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

ID-10037643Have you ever lost power during a storm?

It is amazing how dependent we are on our plug-in devices. We are cut off from the world when we lose power in a storm, especially if our cell phone batteries were low at the time. We can’t refrigerate our foods, or nuke it ii the microwave. Even if you have a gas stove, it may have an electric ignition.  We may have candles, but they burn down, and battery operated lanterns give out after a few hours.  A gas or charcoal grill will soon deplete. We begin to realize just how powerless we are when we suddenly have no power source.

As Christians, we have an eternal power source. But so often, we let our batteries run down because we stop connecting with His Holy Spirit.  We think we can get through our day on our own energy, forgetting the deep need to recharge through prayer.  Like our cell phones, we need to pug into God each and every day. That is the only way we can continue to, like that battery bunny, keep going and going.

The best thing? Even in the midst of a major storm in our life, God’s power will never flicker on and off. It will never go out.  All we need to do is plug ourselves into His mercy and grace again and be filled with powerful His Spirit.

I have a battery strength indicator device. I put a rechargeable battery to it and it will glow green for full strength, yellow for partial strength and red for need more power quick.  My soul has a battery strength indicator as well. I can tell when I am running low on strength. I need a recharging of His holy power. I must plug into His wisdom through prayer.

Don’t forget to recharge today- before the next storm hits!  When you feel weakened, you can find strength in God. No one can act on their own resources for very long.  We all give out after a while. Realize where the true power lies and tap into it. It’s the wise thing to do. When we are weak, He is strong.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

 

 

 

inspired by a devotional by Linda McCutcheon –http://powertochange.com/blogposts/2013/09/24/recharged-not-disconnected/

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Let It Rain

September 23, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

We’ve been parched. Bubbling creeks had become sandy dry beds. Once green, grassy hills appeared straw-colored. The lake and river levels were dangerously low. A friend commented her back yard looked like the San Andreas fault in an earthquake movie – the cracks were huge, and growing.

dreamstimefree_127674For several days the skies taunted us with building clouds and overcast shadows. Then it came.  The sweet smell of moistened dirt. Soft, pelting rain pounded the landscape, filling the furrows and crevices…for hours and hours. 

People’s spirits lifted. The temperatures dropped from scorching nineties into  pleasant seventies.  Birds splashed in the puddles, fluffing their feathers and dipping their beaks.  Windshield wipers danced back and forth like concert attendees waving their hands in joy. Gutters drummed softly with the splatters from Heaven. Blessed relief. 

I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26

Have you experienced a drought? Not the physical kind Texas has been having, but the spiritual kind. Most likely you have. It may have been a time of depression, of doubts, a string of bad luck we call a “Job-like season”, or the agonizing limbo feeling after at tragedy. It felt as if God had stopped blessing you. You thirsted for His presence. Your life cracked open. Your brow was furrowed and your eyes downcast.  But, deep inside you clung to the hope He was there, just as Job did.

Then it came.  Your prayers were finally answered. Your heart was drenched in peace.  His mercies rained down and your doubts and shame were sloughed down the gutter. Your spirit was bathed in His grace. You lifted your hands in relief.

The Newsboys wrote a song over twenty years ago called Let it Rain, from their “Going Public” album. It is Peter’s final prayer before being crucified upside down.  An ancient legend says the Heavens burst open when this apostle, Jesus called the Rock, took his final breath.  In their song, Peter prays, “Lord we’re waiting for Your rain to fall- bringing back the wonder of it all. I can see Your face again when You let it rain.”

Listen to the lyrics. Pray for His blessings.  Let His spirit fall afresh on you today. Be refreshed in the Power of His love.

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THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

September 19, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

Wonderfully written and great photos of how this Christian writer found God in her pre-dawn morning stroll. . .

dianegates's avatarMOVING THE ANCIENT BOUNDARIES

The chill of a predawn ocean breeze swept across the sand as I made my way over the dunes and onto the South Carolina beach last week. The only sound—the rhythmic rippling of gentle waves breaking along the shoreline.

Alone in the darkness, dwarfed, and awed by the anticipated majesty of this morning concert ready to fill the heavens with God’s created light, I waited. But for the moment the clouds, the sand, and the ocean were smoky gray.DSCF3287

Dull. Flat. Lifeless.

I snapped the first photo.

DSCF3291A tinge of blue washed across the expanse above my head, scattering the remnants of darkness like pulled strands of cotton candy.

Gray clouds soaked up the coming lights of heaven and reflected the soon-to-be seen splendor of the sun’s march to the line between sea and sky.DSCF3306 Like turning up the rheostat of a chandelier from dimmer to lighter and brighter, the…

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All the Lost and Lonely People…

September 17, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

He was wandering the pet store, peering into the cages, strolling the aisles. He was dirty, tattooed and skinny with disheveled hair and unshaven chin. A  little girl crouched as she watched a white mouse on a wheel. When he stopped near her, I sucked in my breath. She stood up and ran down the aisle to her mom. He turned and went down another aisle. Then he meandered down another, with his hands laced behind his back. No cart, no basket.

Should I notify the clerks? Was he a pedophile, or just a hobo seeking the air-conditioned relief on a hot and humid Texas day?question

——————————————————————————————

Last Sunday, I stopped for gas on the way back from a workshop 5 hours away. The convenience store was busy – the kind with gas pumps, a fast food restaurant, rows upon rows of food and drink choices, and of course, clean restrooms.  It was a buzzing hive of people dashing in and out.

He sat in a wheel chair with one leg amputated above the knee. His beard was yellowish white and scrawny. He had a big plastic cup of soda.  Someone had given it to him or he had bought it.  Yet he sat with his chin in hs hand, watching everyone else scurrying in and out. I tried to catch his eye to smile, but he looked down and away.  Was he waiting for someone? He looked so despondent. Should I have done more?

As a single woman – do I trust God to protect me as I reach out to minister to these lost men? How would I do that? Do I just walk away and mind my own business like everyone else- how can I do that? These invisible people were no longer invisible to me.

Instead, both times, I got in my car and bowed my head. I prayed for God to send someone to touch their hearts and meet their needs. I prayed for them to believe in Christ and for Him to give them a sense of worth and belonging. I prayed for them to be loved. Was that enough? Did I wimp out of doing God’s will? I wasn’t sure.

They both came to mind this morning. So I prayed again. But I also prayed for myself- and the guilt I felt for not having done something. So many lost and hurting people out there… what can I do about it?

But wait- I did do something. I lifted them up to my Father in Heaven who loves them. It’s a start- a good start.

Who will God place in your path who needs your prayer today?  Will that be enough?

I’d like your comments and thoughts.

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Walking in the Fire

September 15, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

When the fires of life’s demands are blazing around you, and the corruption of the world is lapping at your hands and feet and threatening to suffocate you – how do you react?

© Sergiu Bacioiu Dreamstime.com

© Sergiu Bacioiu Dreamstime.com

Recall the three young men – Shadrack, Meshach and Abdenego ? Their story is found in the third chapter of the Book of Daniel. They refused to denounce their faith so the king threw then into the fiery furnace. At first they crouched down. But, instead of the fires consuming them, the Lord came and protected them from the flames. Together, they walked in it and through it.

The Lord promised He would never forsake us (Psalm 37;28), and that He is with us until the end of the ages. (Matthew 28:20). Even when we feel the heat of evil and worldliness flickering around us, He is always present.

We just need to seek Him.  If we cry, “Daddy!?,” He will come. He will take our hand, and walk us through the situation, or if we are too weak to walk, like a heroic fireman, He will carry us out.

As Natalie Grant, and others, sing in the song, In Christ Alone, there is no power of hell nor scheme off man that will ever pluck us from God’s mighty and loving hands.  But even more than that, His holy fire protects us.

In the Texas Hill Country, when a brush fire forms, the volunteers often start a barrier fire in it’s path to thwart it’s  spread.

The fire of the Holy Spirit is stronger than any other fire. He will thwart any scorches of hell or schemes of the secular world from consuming our souls once we ask Him into our hearts. We may feel the heat, but we won’t be eternally singed.  So walk- heh, why not dance?  You have a covering of holy asbestos.

In the midst of the flames, let people know you are “on fire” for Jesus.

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Squeeze God In

September 12, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

MP900444553[1]If your day is like most of us, you barely have time to breathe, much less find time to spend with God. Right?

Wrong –

Even though technology is sucking time away from us by making us available 24/7, ( how many of you have been awakened in the middle of the night by that text “bling” on your phone and wondered if you should get up and check it or roll back over?) we can find time for God if we realize that God is always present- in the present.

He is the great IAM, not the I was a second ago, or I will be in a moment.

Brother Lawrence, a Medieval monk who penned Practicing the Presence of God had it right – My set times for prayer are exactly like the rest of the day to me. They are but a continuation of the same exercise of being in God’s presence.

So, to squeeze more God-tIme into our day , maybe we should think about how to squeeze more of our day into our time with God.

He will help you with that.  Just ask Him to show you how.

Our Lord wants to hang out with you so much, He hung on the cross so He could.

christ

 
for more thoughts on how to squeeze more God-Time Into Your day, click on the picture below

Squeeze cover

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Will You?

September 10, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

from Tx Hill Country

courtesy of Texas Hill Country-facebook photo

Praise the LORD, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom. Let all that I am praise the LORD. Psalm 103:22

All of creation praises the Lord – won’t you today?

Drop the load you are bearing.

Lift up your hands and lift your spirits.

You’ve carried it enough- time to give it to God.

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