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Posts Tagged ‘Julie B Cosgrove’

Get Comfort-able

Posted in Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on April 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »

 

Growing up, Mom draped comforters over the ends of our beds. It was an extra cover in case we got cold in the night. Weather in Texas can change in a heart beat. When we felt ill, she would wrap us in our comforter and place us on the couch so she could go about her housework and still keep a watchful eye onID-100112567 us. To this day, a comforter symbolizes love, healing, warmth, and security to me. I still keep one at the end of my bed.  And when I am ill, I still snatch it off my bed and migrate to the couch.

Being cozy and warm is like having arms wrapped around you. You feel cocooned in peace and sheltered from the harsh winds of the world. Prayer shawls can have that effect. They make you feel as if you are enveloped in God’s love. Even without my shawl, my prayer time with God often feels that way, no matter if I am praying for someone else or  if I am coming to Him on contrite knees asking forgiveness. I still feel His Holy Spirit hugging me. His presence surrounds me, protects me and loves on me.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,iwho comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 

That is how Paul starts off his second letter to the Corinthian Christians. My brain spun around this verse like a loop-de-loop on a roller coaster. It wove in and out of the clauses in a spiral that didn’t end. If  I wrote that passage today, my editor would have sent it back with so many red marks all over it – over use of the same words, run-on sentences, etc.

Yet, Paul gives us a true golden nugget because his progression is logical. Giving comfort is a non-ending spiral.  Before we can comfort, we have to have been comforted.You cannot share an experience you have never had. And, because we have been comforted, we should now comfort others. Why? Because as Christians, our comforter is the Father of  mercies and God of all comfort. He designed it so that our response to His comfort would be to spread that comfort to others and lead them to Him.

Because I know my Lord forgives my iniquities, I can more easily forgive others. That opens me to being able to provide them comfort, and more importantly, showing them my Lord who is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

Are your comfort-able to receive God’s mercy and love? Maybe you will feel called to wrap His love around someone else’s shoulders like a comforter this week? Or perhaps, you need to become more comfortable with the idea of allowing someone to wrap His comfort around you. Whichever scenario fits your situation, it’s okay. Grab your comforter, prayer shawl or blankie and snuggle in. Comfort awaits.

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Enter The Gates

Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Next Sunday begins the journey through the gates.

ID-100154628 With praises and loud voices we wave palm branches to welcome Jesus into the gates of Jerusalem.

But, within a few days, we watch as his ministry on earth appears to crumble. Plots against him escalate. He and his disciples hide out in an upper room to celebrate the Passover, then pass through the city gates to a mount in a secluded olive grove.

One of them betrays Him,and the rest scatter, denying that they know Him in fear of meeting the same fate as He is to meet as he is dragged through the gates into the courts. The crowds choose a well-known criminal to pardon instread of Jesus and after much flogging and mocking,

He carries his cross through the streets, pass the main city gates and unto a hill. There he is nailed tothe beams of wood, and suffers unto death.

But the story doesn’t end. Unbeknowst to the world, Jesus enters the gates of Hell to conquer the power of Satan — sin and death  — once and for all. He took our sins upon the cross,carried them to Hell, and then built the bridge for us to Heaven.

Then rejoice! The stone is rolled away and He is risen. Now the gates of Heaven are open wide, as Don McClean sung in his wonderful Easter song, as seen through Peter’s eyes, “He’s Alive”.

What gates are in your life right now? Are they opened to Jesus entering through them, or have you closed them, slapped on a heavy lock and stepped away? We face all kinds of gates. Joyful ones like entering into marriage, or going off to college, or having a baby, and maybe entering your financially secure retirement years- is there such a thing now?  Maybe the gates are sorrowful- the last Hospice days of a loved one, the unexpected diagnosis from your doctor, the papers served to tell you your spouse wants to end the marriage. Maybe the are gates of unknown. A job change, moving to a new city, leaving home, entering the mission field abroad.

There is one common denominator in all these scenarios, and the upcoming Holy Week from Palm Sunday through Easter shows that. Whatever the gate is – Jesus is there. Let Him walk through it with you. Gates have no power over Him. So  give thanks and praise His name. Then hold His hand and enter in.


Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Psalm 24:7

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100 :4

 

 

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A Grave Situation

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , , , on April 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Have you ever felt buried? I have. The hole seemed so deep, yet themroeI tried toclimb my way out,the more I kept sinking.Exhausted, physically, emotionally and spititually, I lay as if paralyzed. Stress, job pressures, finances, loss, sorrow, poor self-image – they all were shovels of dirt thrown on top of me, suffocating any positive outlook, trapping my hands to my sides.

But, deep in the beats of my heart still lay the truth of Philippians 4:11-13.  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be contentx whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry ywhether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

The minister in the movie God’s Not Dead relays this message to a young Muslim turned Christian woman who has been disinherited. Other people in the movie have to face heartaches, devastating illnesses, or rejection by those they love. Yet each of them, through dying to their past find life in Christ. If you haven’t seen this movie, do.

ID-100128625I have heard it said, when you hit rock bottom you begin to realize that Jesus is the Rock. Jesus rose from the grave so He can raise us from ours- not only at the end of the age when He returns for His own, but daily. So many people today are walking dead. They have lost hope. They see no future. They plod through their lives without purpose beyond making money so they can eat and have a roof over their heads.  Maybe they make money on the side to support a habit they think will bring them joy, but it sinks them deeper into the grave of despondency and helplessness

Whatever pits you have dug, whatever graves the world has chucked you in, there is hope. Call on Jesus to reach down and pull you out. He will shake off the dirt and make you clean, filled with hope, peace and strength in all things.

Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I open your graves, and raise you from your graves. O my people, I put my Spirit within you, and you shall live. Ezekiel 37:13-14a.

 

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Caged-In

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on March 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »

IMG_20140324_111347_318As I pulled into the parking lot, dashing streaks of bright blue and white, half-hidden in the shadows, caught my eye. Then I heard the screeches.

A blue jay had become trapped in the cage where the air conditioning units are stored at my building. She flitted back and forth in a frantic dance. The rapid rustle of her feathers cried out for help.Her mate cawed in panicked shrieks and fluttered from the tree limb to the top of the cage and back again. My heart sank!

How did that poor bird become locked in the cage? Then I noticed the cage did not reach all the way to the ground. A three-inch gap stretched between the grass and the bottom bar. Perhaps an enticing bug had lured the jay underneath the steel webbing. However, its instinct told it to fly, not crawl. Above the jay were tree limbs and sky within reach, yet not accessible. Repeatedly, she darted back and forth banging against the top corners of the cage. I crouched down and extended my hand through the narrow opening at the bottom. I tried to chirp like a bird, and then coo in soft calming tones. The blue jay stopped, cocked her head to the side, then took off in even a more frantic flight – back and forth, back and forth. I tried to open the cage, but the lock prevented me from doing so. I needed the key.

I called the maintenance warden. He had a key, and some lubricant to un-stiffen the lock from the effects of the outside elements. It only took a few minutes of patient coaxing. Click, The lock released.

With a screech of the rusty hinges, one side of the cage opened. But the bird crouched at the other end, crunched against the upper corner. Its beak propped open, It’s feathered breast heaved. Tiny black eyes widened.

The warden backed away.The bird could see him fully now. It chirped, turned, and flapped its wings. Suddenly, she flew, out and up to the safety of the nearest tree. Her mate flew after her. Sheltered by the leaves, we heard soft tweeting. The maintenance warden and I smiled.

Aren’t we humans like that blue jay? Something has enticed us into a situation. Unaware of the danger, we venture forth. Suddenly, we feel trapped, unable to find the way out of this mess. Our human nature clouds the ability to find freedom on our own. Yet don’t we try, over and over, only to get the same results? Anxiety sets in. We become frantic, banging against the barriers that separate us from the life we want. The barriers called sin. Perhaps friends are huddled on the outside,praying. They call out to God to come rescue us. Some may try to show us the way out. But they don’t have what it takes to convince us. Our doubts, helplessness, and the attitude of “I got into this, I can get out on my own” stubbornness blocks us from seeing the way to escape.

Only Jesus holds the key that can release me and you from the bonds of sin which have encased us. He alone can show us the way out. If you have a friend who is trapped in circumstances that seems impossible, realize that you are not capable of freeing them. You must call for Jesus to unlock the cage. Then, like that blue jay did to the warden, when they fix their eyes on Him, they can see His mercy has flung the doors wide, pointing the way to freedom. At last, to fly free.

 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36

I found God’s message of salvation today in a trapped and frantic blue jay.

Where will you find Him today?

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In the sky over Palm Beach Yesterday

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , on March 16, 2014| Leave a Comment »

taken from Facebook – photo is from

Meteorologist Jim Loznicka

Photo: You've heard about it and now you can see it. The "Angel Cloud" that appeared over Palm Beach yesterday.

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Dreading It

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on March 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »

ID-100231618Today, I have to go to the dentist. Just saying the word raises my blood pressure. My chest tightens a touch…well more than that.

I have a cavern in one tooth. I can feel it with my tongue. Probably it is not more than a pin prick, it just seems that huge. Logic tells me if I don’t go through the pain of the shot, drilling and filling, it will begin to hurt more and more. At first, it maybe just a touch of discomfort. Then, Ice water will make me cringe, and next, hot soup will make me suck air. In a week or so, I will have to down aspirin, dab on anesthetic gels, and toss and turn at night. So, it has to be done.

Sin is that way isn’t it? It may seems small to the world, but to the one who is carrying it, it can be huge. But, the pain of being examined by Christ as He drills in and cleans it out of our lives is not a pleasant thing. But, like filling a cavity, it is necessary. Otherwise, after a while that sin will interfere with everything we do. Like the dentist, Our Lord has to clean out the mess before it can be properly treated. That hurts as well, but only for a while.

I know- if I had brushed my teeth more than once a day, or had not skipped those times I was too tired to floss before bedtime, or not chomped on that taffy, or downed those carbonated drinks… Little slip-ups can accumulate into something very unpleasant to have to handle–like a cavity.

Are not our lives the same way? We are accountable for our actions, and good or bad, they build up. Just as good dental habits make our teeth stronger and protect us against cavities, our good habits protect our souls and make us strong against the attacks of the devil. Whereas the bad habits can eat away at our souls bit by bit. At first we may not notice, but then, uh-oh. There it is. Just try to ignore it for very long.

I have to go to the dentist today. It is only one hour out of my life, and in reality, about 30 seconds of pain. Yet, I dread it. But, deep down I know God will be there to hold my hand and see me through it. Ditto for the sin I need to come to Him about.

I never thought I’d find God in a dentist appointment, but there you go. Where will you find Him today?

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Clouded View

Posted in Books, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on February 25, 2014| 1 Comment »

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the
mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud
covered it six days; and on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the
midst of the cloud.  Exodus 24:14

dreamstime_m_18038487.jpgGod told Moses to wait… and he did. For six days he was encased in a deep fog – he probably couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. Zero visibility. Six days…waiting.

I can relate to Moses’s experience in Exodus 24. There have been times when I have been in a spiritual fog for a while. I’d lost my sense of direction. I couldn’t see where to go. I couldn’t determine if I took a few steps to the left or the right would that plummet me off a cliff? So I didn’t move at all. And it seemed like the fog lasted for an eternity.

It is an eerie feeling when you are waiting on the Lord.  I admit I had waves of anxiousness and doubts. “Why am I here? Why can’t I vision You in my life right now, Lord?” Then, as frustartion mounts, “Why can’t I see a way out of this? What lessons are You trying to teach me?”  And with a trembling lip, “You aren’t mad at me are you?”, as if God was an angry parent who’d put me in time-out.

But, somehow I knew God’s glory was in that cloudiness with me, just as His glory was with Moses.  Which is why I kept praying to Him even though I could not sense His presence.. And eventually, God’s voice led me out of the midst of the clouds. Just as He did with Moses.

We cannot always see God’s working in our lives. But in the meantime. like Moses, we need to wait, watch and worship. God has not abandoned us. He has us where we are for a reason. Trust in that. You can find Him today, even if you can’t find anything else.

 

for more on the In-between times and why God puts us there, consider the Bible Study Between the Window and the Door. Thanks.

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Good Intentions

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , , , on February 21, 2014| 2 Comments »

“I know he meant to help.” Jane shook the packet of sweetener like a red flag in front of a bull. “But he folded all the towels wrong. I had to redo them all so they’d hang right on the racks in the bathroom before our guests arrived. I barely had time to get my shoes on before the doorbell rang.” She clinked her spoon in her coffee cup a bit a faster. “If he’d only just do it my way. There’s a reason I do things the way I do,  you know?”

Her friend patted Jane’s hand. “I know what you mean. Bob tries, but I have to constantly go behind him. He just doesn’t clean the way I like. You’d think after umpteen years of marriage he’d have learned. But, noooo…” She nudged the salt and pepper shakers on their table to line up with the flip folder of desert and drink offerings. “Yesterday, I caught him rinsing the dishes with the sponge I use to scrub the bathrooms. Ugh!”

Good intentions.  Sometimes they don’t amount for much. Ah, but I hear you say, “They tried. Doesn’t that count for something? Do their wives have to be so picky? Isn’t it the thought that counts?”ID-100156152

And the poor husbands who tried to help. Bet their heads hung a bit lower. Maybe they sighed and thought, Why bother? I can never please her. Perhaps.  Or maybe they just chuckled inside because, after all, they know their wives.  Human relations are a sticky thing. We each have agendas, and none of us are perfect.

But, what about when we try to do something for God? Do we really know how He wants it done?  We pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “thy will be done.”  Do we mean it,  or do we think more often than not, “Please bless my efforts as I do this my way. After all, it’s the thought that counts.  I am trying to do this for You the best I can.” And when our efforts turn out less than perfect, we sigh and think, Why bother. I am not the right person for this ministry. God, why did you choose me?

The problem is, like the good-intention husbands, we are doing it the best we can, not not the best way He wants. Our Lord is perfect in all things. He knows the most excellent way things should be accomplished. There is a reason for each thing He allows to happen, each turn He wants us to take on the road, each lesson we are to learn along the way. Yet how often do we try to “do it for Him” and help out without asking Him how He wants it done?  If we can learn that His ways are not our ways, and take the time to discover how He wants things done, then the outcome just might be better, don’t you think?

I struggle with perfection, which is silly because, as a human being, that is not a possible goal.  But, I am learning if I do my perfect God’s will, and go in prayer to Him often to discover His instructions for the task He has given me, then its outcome is one more worry I can dismiss from my brain. Good intentions are great, but following directions is better.

What if that husband had asked beforehand, “Now tell me how you like the towels folded?”  I hope that wife would not have rolled her eyes and huffed, “Never mind. I’ll do it.” I hope she’d have the grace to patiently show him. Their relationship would be a great deal more loving if she did. But then, well, we are all human.

However, we can always go to God and not worry about receiving a heavy sigh or an eye-roll. Even if we have to go to Him more than once and ask for instructions again and again. In fact, I think at least in my case, He wants me to do that. He wants to give me the directions step by step so I don’t try to veer off onto my own tangent and think my way is okay. That just leads to the road for disappointment.

Our patient Lord sees our good intentions, but wishes to perfect them in His grace. So He is always there to correct us, guide us and teach us, no matter how many tries it takes to line up our deeds with His will. So, if the things you are doing for God are not turning out the way you planned, go back to Him and reconnect with His plan. Then your good intentions will be God’s intentions.

That’s the message I found today from God. It is in this prayer –

“Give us the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed..”  from the Collect for the Sixth Sunday in Epiphany

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It’s the Waiting…

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on February 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

My friend wrung the Kleenex between her fingers. “I know God is going bestow His blessings on this situation.” She heaved her shoulders and dabbed her eyes. “But it’s the waiting that’s so hard.”

courtesy duanealley.com Royalty- Free Image by Corbis

courtesy duanealley.com
Royalty- Free Image by Corbis

Oh, how true. Studies show people get antsy after 30 seconds of waiting for the light to change to green, for the microwave to ding, for someone’s voice mail to kick in after four rings. We tap our fingers and roll our eyes if the Search Engine doesn’t pop up the  info in a finger snap. And if there is a line at the check-out, the bank, or anywhere else, we clench our teeth, tap our shoes, or glance at the second hand on our watch every few seconds and sigh, right?

Kids right out of college want the CEO office with the view and the pay check. People want their first home to be their dream home, instead of slowly making it into one filled with memories. We are a drive-thru, get-it-in-an-instant-and-just-add-water society. Chaucer in the 1300’s  said patience was a virtue  and grandmothers have been quoting it ever since. But, he could never understand the fast pace of our world today.

Guess where else we can find great messages about patience?  Yep, the Bible.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge ;and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, patience and to patience, godliness;  2 Peter 1:5

Obtaining a lifestyle of patience surely has its health benefits: lower blood pressure, less depression and anxiety, fewer tension headaches and stomach pains, etc.  But it has spiritual benefits as well, doesn’t it?  It does for me. When I am in the “waiting on the Lord” mode, I am calmer, more attentive to hearing His footsteps  stroll through my day, and more tuned into His whispers into my soul. The silence  when I don’t hear Him doesn’t make me antsy when my faith volume is on high. A peace envelops me. I can also think clearer and react more slowly, which trust me, is a good thing. When I acknowledge the Perfect One, who knows all and is all, is behind the wheel instead of me with my limited vision and easily distracted mind, the stress  level plummets.

There is a reason He often has us in a holding pattern. In time, that reason will be revealed in the way we can best absorb it- by hindsight. Until then,  we need to wrap ourselves in the patience robe, pull the sash tight around us and snuggle in.

Patience is a virtue, yes. It is also a holy directive. One I need to practice daily. How about you?

for more about God’s reason why you may be in the waiting room, otherwise known as the in-between times, consider Between the Window and the Door – a Bible & Life Experience  study

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Five Minutes to Spare

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , on February 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

After a two-hour drive, minus one pit-stop, my friend and I pulled up to the church in a strange town where in another month’s time we would be conducting a workshop for the women of my denomination. It had not been a good morning so far. The gas pump ran out of gas. so I grumbled as I had to pay $2.24 and then get in the car, back around, go to another gas station and fill the car the rest of the way. Then, It seemed that every slow driver in a 100 mile radius had descended on the highway in front of me. Grrr. And of course, every traffic light turned red just as I pulled up. And, when my bladder told me I probably should stop at a convenience store before arriving at the church, I grumbled again. “Sorry, I told my friend. I hate to be late, but…”

I decided to get a cup of coffee, because it seemed rude to use the facilities and not buy something. Besides, there was no one else at the counter, so what was another thirty seconds, right? But, of course, I had to wait for the cashier to get more change, As he tapped the bankers roll of quarters, my lips curled into a smile. But my mind screamed, Hurry, hurry.

But, at last we arrived at the church grounds. I looked at my dashboard clock. Five minutes to spare. I asked my friend who rode shotgun, “How could that be when I’ve been running late all morning?”

As we got out of the car, I noticed a woman sitting on a bench under a tree.  At first I thought she might be one of the ladies we were supposed to meet to go over the logistics of the workshop. Maybe she was early, too and didn’t have a key. I said, “Hi”.

The woman’s shoulders almost folded into her torso. She gave me a quick glance, then her eyes darted back to her hands.  “It’s so peaceful here. Is it okay if I just sit?”

It was then I noticed her red nose and eyes. She was crying. I looked at my friend. I think we both sensed that if the two of us approached this distraught person, it might overwhelm her. My friend discovered the door was unlocked, nodded, and slipped inside.

I walked over to the crying young woman and asked if I could pray with her. She shrugged. “I guess.”

She appeared uncomfortable. So, I told her I was visiting from out-of-town and gave her my first name. Her face relaxed a bit, as if she was relieved I might not know someone who knew her, the way small towns often work. She gave me her first name. I sat beside her, put my arm around her and held her. SIlently, I asked the Holy Spirit to give me the words to say out loud that would comfort her. I heard the message, “Tell her I love her.I always have and I always will.”  

As I prayed that, I felt her body ease. After I said, “Amen.”,  she whispered, “Thanks. How did you know what to pray for?”

I blinked back my own tears.  “God did that. He told me what to pray. Trust me, He loves you more than you can ever imagine. He will never, ever stop, no matter what. So, hang in there, okay?”

As I walked into the church meeting hall,  a sudden surge of humility flooded me. I was on God’s schedule, not my own.  By His grace, I arrived just in time to meet this young woman, and pray with her. I thanked God for orchestrating my journey just right so as to put me there when He did– especially after the frustrations of the morning. 

I will continue to pray for that young woman until God tells me I no longer need to do so.  I don’t know why she was crying. I didn’t think it was up to me to ask. But God knew, and He used me to reach into her heart and offer her a ray of hope by giving me the words she needed to hear.

Despite everything else that went wrong that day, He turned it to good by giving  me five minutes to spare.

What will He give you today to let you know He is there, and He cares?

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