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Posts Tagged ‘God’s love’

Underground

Posted in Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , , on January 11, 2019| 1 Comment »

“that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth…” Philippians 2:10

Today I saw the last part of this passage “under the earth”  in a new way. In my neighborhood, all the utilities have gone underground. Cable, phone, and I think even some of the electrical wires, are now all zipping through fiber optic pathways. No more tangle of wires weaving across tar-coated poles. It looks nicer as far as the landscape.  But out of sight out of mind, you almost forget they still exist until someone has to dig up the street. Then, what a hassle and a mess! Traffic has to be rerouted. People run late. Blood pressures rise.

Sometimes, God works underground. His love flows as a constant current.  We rely on it, and sometimes consciously forget that it is there, until we need a dose of it in our lives. Like flipping on a switch or remote control. Click. “Oh, there you are God. Hi. I need you.”

But we are the conduit of His love as well. We are supposed to be passing it on. to others, letting it flow through us and our day to day lives. It should underground all of our thoughts and actions.   And yet, we are also constantly under construction.

The old adage, “God isn’t through with me yet” is true. We all need repairs. Our emotions and human-ness can interrupt the flow. Sometimes, God needs to put on His hardhat and start digging down deep. At first, we think it messes up our daily routes. We get a tad annoyed. Right?

God’s constructive work can jam up a few things in our lives, but it is necessary work.  One day we all will have an uninterrupted flow of faith and every knee will bow at the name of Jesus. But not yet. Until then, we are in a construction zone, and miraculously, God’s love still moves along in spite of it.

Lord, let me welcome your digging into my life so I can be a better conduit of your love and commandments. In Jesus’ name that one day everyone will worship, amen.

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Heart of the Matter

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, Nature, tagged , , , , on February 5, 2015| 4 Comments »

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courtesy of Begin with Yes

This is a photo spreading around Facebook.  Perfect for the month of February, right?

As a widow, I could get down about not having a valentine.. no anticipated candy or flowers at my door. But God loves on me every single day, and throughout the year He brings me such sweet and fragrant reminders of His inestimable and immeasurable love for me.

I have never canceled a lecture. Last week, I contracted pneumonia and had to. I felt as if I broke a promise…not to mention feeling a bit down about the stack of author copies in the box in the back of my car. But God sent love my way…three times. (He and I have a private joke about threes.)

First a dear friend, who is not a morning person, rose early and dressed to the nines to sit at the lecture site with copies of my books and explain to people.She actually sold several! I owe you big time, Karen.

Secondly, a younger, more techie friend taped the Sunday worship on her phone so I could participate without being there. I lifted me out of my slump. What a privilege to hear everyone else’s voices and recognize them as people I know and love.  I found myself praying for each of them. When I am in church, I tend to focus in on me and God. Thanks, Kati.

Thirdly,  God led me to an amazing woman, N.N. Light,  who has an author’s blog. Her readership is vast, and her tweet stating I was on her blog has been re-tweeted 57 times in the last 24 hours, reaching a potential of over 100,000 followers. Even if 10% preview my book and then 10% of them buy it, my publisher will be dancing a jig!

…and here I wrung my hands, in between coughing spells, over a missing out on a crowd of 40-50.

Thanks, God. Your love shines through.

Where will you find His love-gift in your day? It just may be on the horizon.

...and I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:17b-18

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Are You Like Cookie?

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on September 20, 2014| Leave a Comment »

As I watch this little penguin on this video, I ask myself – am I like that?

When I hear my Savior calling do I seek Him earnestly, despite scary obstacles in the way, such as walls and vacuum cleaners are to this little guy? Notice the penguin can only see part of the trainer – the hand first.,out stretched. That is enough for it to recognize it’s protector, and care giver. Then it dashes to it to receive love and attention in a display of pure joy.

Lord, teach me to be more like this precious little penguin.

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Averted eyes

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , on May 20, 2014| 1 Comment »

I have begun to power walk, well for me it takes all my power to do this, for a half hour early every morning after I have my Bible and coffee time. I live in a large apartment complex, and a few other people are stirring at that daybreak hour. ID-10018835 However, I have begun to notice something that disturbs me down to my core. Averted eyes.

Today, I passed seven people, and only one looked at me and returned my smile – a child. Everyone else turned away, or changed directions when they saw me approaching with my water bottle, walking shoes, and sweat-beaded brow. Now surely an overweight, sixty-year old 5’2′ woman is not threatening. So, instead of thinking it was all about me, I began to observe that they reacted the same way to others who were heading for their cars, walking their pets or taking out their trash. No one acknowledged the presence of anyone else. Heads down, eyes averted, they went about their business.

What happened to the friendly “howdy” and wave? When did people become so wary, so sullen, and so solitary? When did we begin to disconnect from each other? Is cyberspace to blame? Population growth? Unstable economy? I think those may be symptoms, but the disease is greater than that.

People are lost. They have no hope. They need a Savior.

Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. Job 8:13

How can we help people to hope again?  By showing them our hope that is unmovable.  .

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

I will continue to walk, and continue to nod and smile. Maybe the small silver cross I wear will catch their attention. Perhaps they will see something in me they are lacking. And maybe, just maybe, after our eyes begin to connect, they will let me get close enough to wish them a good day and to tell them I hope God, who is the source of my hope, blesses them. I just might be the one person who smiles to them, or acknowledges them positively with caring eyes.

I also hope I start to jiggle less and less as I walk more and more .But, at least now God has given me a purpose outside of myself for my morning strolls. I walk to bring hope to averted eyes.

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More or Less

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on October 17, 2013| 1 Comment »

As I listened to a Christian radio broadcast in the car, a message came through the airwaves into my heart. The DJ simply said:

                    Don’t think less of yourself, think of yourself less.

Growing up, I was shunned by the in-crowd who were the children of parents’ friends. It left deep scars on my psyche. Bolstered by my late husband, who never complimented me on anything but was quick to riducle my faults, I battled a deep-seeded self esteem problem. That is until I truly discovered Christ’s love for me. The immensity of that love began to sink into the corners of my mind, though I doubt I will ever fully understand it. But as I open myself to experience His love more and more, I dsicover that I hate myself less.

ID-100142606Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, but lack of pride is one as well. Both foster the same result- a skewed image of self that is not the one God intends for us to have.  Pride thinks too much of self, while poor self esteem thinks not enough.

But, and this is key, both have the mirror planted firmly in front, focused mostly on self. All else – friends, family and even God – are in the peripheral vision.

Woman MeditatingHowever, when we think of ourselves less, we then can think more on things that are above. We center our thoughts in Christ Jesus instead of ourselves.  We don’t think about how we will come across, what others may think, or what they might say behind our backs. Instead, we think more of the wonderfulness of His love for us and for others, so we are more open to being His voice in a hurting world. We see more miracles, feel more passion, and experience the humbled joy of being more useful.

I guess in this case, the adage is true: Less is more.

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River Rain

Posted in Nature, tagged , , , , , , , on September 5, 2013| 1 Comment »

Our riverI’m a river rat – born and raised. Last weekend I was blessed to have time off so I could head back to my river, the Guadalupe, which meanders through the Texas Hill Country like an emerald-green ribbon. Quiet ripples coax you along its path, splattered by occasional shallows and rapids which are tame by most standards, but great for novice kayakers like me. I’d never been in one until my sister persuaded me to give it a try.

What a peace. Immersed in beauty, I floated along, the kayak barely making a sound as it skimmed the waters.  There I was, home! with the sun on my back and with someone I dearly love right beside me, telling me what to do and encouraging me to keep trying.  It reminded me of what it must have been like for Eve and Adam to walk in the Garden with God – before the Fall.

Then, the sky opened up and peltered soft rain, popping the water with thousands of diamonds. Through the sun’s rays we could see the rain making a thin, veil-like waterfall as it cascaded down onto the shore.  What an image of God’s mercies – after the Fall. Because His Son, our Lord went to the Cross, we are washed anew in the outpouring of His love.

I always find God on the Guadalupe. Where do you find Him?

Will you share that in the comments?

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IN A SONG – The Greatest Tear

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , on June 14, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Awesome song of God’s powerful love

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In Me?

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , on February 4, 2013| 2 Comments »

I have a daily Bible verse app on my Droid cell phone. Today’s is this:

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his spirit.  1John 4:12-13

No one who has ever walked the earth has ever seen God, except Jesus when he looked in the mirror. Or, did He see just the human flesh He came to dwell in — that would bleed and die on the cross — staring back at Him? Could He physically see Himself as God or just be acutely aware of that part of Himself dwelling inside the flesh and bones?

Today, we believers are His hands and feet on earth. Can anyone “see” God in us or just sense His presence when we exhibit His love? Is that why people say God is reflected through us? That is a mystery which has been debated by those far more knowledgable than I throughout the centuries.

???????????????????????????????????????But this I know is Truth — if you have taken Jesus into your heart, He is there, living in you as His temple. Others can sense that, even if they are not believers. God draws people to Himself through believers. And, when we are not doing what Jesus would do, and love the way Jesus would love, it can repel them.

When we act in love as Christ would, then that love is made perfect because it makes God more tangible for others. John says God has “given us of his spirit”.  We don’t contain all of God’s spirit (we are too finite for that)  but we have enough of it shing through us be detected by other’s soul-eyes. AND maybe, we contain enough to detect shining with our own soul-eyes when we look in the mirror. Then we can see beyond the added ten pounds we have yet to get off our hips after the holidays, or the bad hair day, or the blemish that is pushing through onto our cheek.

Where did I find God today? Was it possibly in me?  Was I that loving? Did His Spirit reflect through me?

 

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In the Rain

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on October 1, 2012| 1 Comment »

A friend and I were hitting the thrift stores in search of clothes. She needed white shirts for her new job, and I needed more professional wear.  After four years of freelance writing in sweats and PJs at home for a living, my wardrobe was pretty bare. Since they are low-paying, part-time jobs, (hey, but in this economy both are pure gifts from God) neither of us could afford mega bucks on our attire.

Of course the day we both had off was a rainy one (another gift from God on the parched north Texas land that had been seared by 100 plus temps most of the summer). All day a soft, steady downpour peltered the city. At the last store, we had to park at the back of the lot. As we dashed, huddled under umbrellas, the wind picked up. The rain pour intensified.

We saw a family up ahead.  The mother and little girl were crammed together under an umbrella. The mother’s arm was around the child as her other hand held the umbrella’s pole. The child studderstepped to match her mom’s footsteps. The mom would slow down, then start walking quickly again.  Behind them was the father, holding the tip of the umbrella’s canopy with both hands so it would not flip upward. He was getting soaked, but with undaunted care, he maneuvered the umbrella’s spread with their steps so his two loved ones stayed as dry as possible.

courtesy of faithshare.com

Is that not what our Heavenly Father does for us? His love and grace covers us, like an umbrella against   the downpours of life. His Spirit acts as our guide, but also hovers, just like that dad, making sure we stay protected. Like the daughter underneath, if we keep matching our steps with His, we will stay dry. If we do get a bit damp, it is better than what would have happened if we were on our own. Besides, that family was heading into a store to buy dry, clean clothes. How much more awaits us at our final destination if we follow God’s directives?

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Where I Didn’t Find Him

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , on September 18, 2012| 1 Comment »

I met a friend for lunch to discuss churchwomen business. She is the current president and I am to follow on her heels next year. For the first time in a long time, it was actually a cool day in north Texas. Therefore, we sat on the front patio of the restaurant. It is a popular lunch spot, so if you love to people watch, this is the perfect place.

I imagine close to a hundred people passed by in the time we were there. Students from the university down the road wandered in, as did the medical staff from the hospitals and clinics up the road. So did business people in their suits, ties or heels. Sprinkled in between were retired couples, tourists, moms on a rare lunch out, and workers with their names on their uniform shirts or badges.

What surprised me the most was the countenance on most of their faces. On a cool day after a good rain that was so needed at the end of a summer of 100 plus temperatures, you’d think people would be uplifted, walk with a spring in their step, feel rejuvenated. But most wore a scowl or straight face.  Many seemed bent over with the weight of the world on their backs. A few, who had arranged to meet, smiled at each other, and then fell into mutual silence. Couples walked together in a marital patterned, robot-like pace.  The only ones who broke the drudgery lunch time routine with laughter were three women taking indulgent deserts in boxes back to work

I thought of how our Father in Heaven must see us – all His children running around like irritated ants. How it must break His heart to have so many pass up His freely given love and choose the world view instead.  It made me realize how far from God our daily lives have drifted , even here in America where we are supposed to be one nation under Him.

Heavenly Lord, use this wonderful thing called cyberspace to draw your children back to You. Let them realize they are not alone and to seek You each day. Help them to see You are right there, waiting.  You came down in the form of Jesus, Your Son, to draw us to You.  Through His sacrifice, we can have direct access to You with each and every breath we take.  Help us to be more and more in touch with your Holy Spirit in us and to see evidence of Your presence in our daily walk. We pray this through Christ and in His name. Amen.

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