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Posts Tagged ‘Where did you find God today’

Rose Glow

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , , , , on May 16, 2014| 1 Comment »

IMAG0006A while back, my great-niece made me this rose. Rather ingenious, it is a silk flower and greenery glued around a tea light. She painstakingly hollowed out the rose, inserted the tea light, and then glued it all back together. You have to flip the switch underneath before it can softly glow from the inside out.

You see where my train of thought is going with this, right? You and I are that rose. When we ask Christ, the Light of the World, into our hearts He glows from within us and it oozes out of our countenance for the world to see. It enhances the beauty we were created to display because it comes from deep down within the center of our core. He has painstakingly glued us back together after we were broken and the world tore us apart. Now, we are a thing of beauty because we reflect Him as the center of our lives.

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

But, here is the thing. Christ allows us the free will to turn His glowing presence in our lives on for others to see, or to turn it off. We are not so attractive when we are not glowing with His love and mercy. Each day, each situation, each encounter, we have the option to turn our attitude over and flip the switch– to be His Light shining into the darkened hearts of a hurting and bewildered world or not.

Who will you glow for today? Will it be a child in tears over a bully’s remark, a store clerk who is having an unappreciated, frazzled day, the homeless man with the cardboard sign, or your family member who just walked in the door and barked at you after a tough day?

 

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A Tree Grows in… What??

Posted in Life Experiences, Nature, tagged , , , , , , , on May 12, 2014| 1 Comment »

10307430_10153104667781002_242652077577200201_nA friend posted this photo from knoxville.com on Facebook. It’s making the circuit, so maybe you’ve seen it. At first I laughed…then my mouth formed an “o.”

God spoke to me in volumes about tenacity, strength through adversity, and determination to become the beautiful creation He has in mind for you to be.

That car must have been there long before the tree was little more than a sapling. Yet, somehow, this tenacious little piece of bark pushed through metal, leather, springs and rust to stretch out into the sky.Year after year it struggled to grow, and eventually sprawled out beyond the boundaries that contained it. Limbs shot from its ever-increasing trunk until it overcame what had held it back.

The same God-given weather – rain, sun, cold and heat – that nourished the tree deteriorated it’s captor. Windows, once hardened by glass, shattered. Metal, once molded for strength, crumbled. What was once an obstacle became a pathway to the light, and a container to guide further growth.

If you are facing obstacles right now, I hope this picture of a tree sprouting healthy and strong from an old rusty car gives you hope. Through the struggle,no matter the diversity you face, you will become what God intended you to be if you don’t give up. Anything is possible if you rely on God. Keep stretching, keep reaching for Heaven’s goodness. God will provide.You will overcome any adversity if you turn to Him.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27

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Soul Sniffles

Posted in Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on May 7, 2014| 2 Comments »

ID-10070268It started with a tickle, like a feather under my nose. Then, the scratchiness in the back om tongue. By this morning, my head was stuffed with cotton, my throat burned, and a shallow cough had settled into my chest. Yep – I have a cold. It’s okay – it’s not contagious over cyberspace, so you don;t have to click off.

As nasty as a summer cold is, I found a God-message in it.

Do our souls react to sin the way our body reacts to germs? I think so.

At first sin is a mild irritant, but if we let it enter in, the Holy Spirit will make us uncomfortable as it tries to defeat the sin, the way our bodies’ white corpuscles attack a cold germ. It may take a lot of sneezing to get it out of our system. Not pleasant, but for the best.

Ignore the sin even more, and it can even make us sick. We begin to feel out of sorts and irritable. If we don’t confess the sin and try to live our lives with it, it digs in deeper to become a full-blown infection, just like a cold can turn into pneumonia or bronchitis.

Like taking cold and cough medicines, confession may not be pleasant. But it is necessary if we are to heal. The earlier we begin treatment, the quicker we can nip the symptoms in the bud.

There are other things you can do. Let your prayer be like a facial tissue- expel your sin and then toss it away.

Like hot tea, the vapors of mercy can soothe you. And to prevent your sin from infecting others, forgiven can be like a hand sanitizer that keeps the sin from re-entering our hearts. In fact, when we encounter a negative, grouchy or hurtful person, maybe we should grab our spiritual armor the way we dig in our purses and pockets for the hand sanitizer bottle when someone sniffles or coughs. God’s Word is the best defense to keep our souls healthy.

When you have a cold you are supposed to rest because you are weak. Are we not supposed to rest in the arms of our Lord when we feel spiritually weak?

The experts say to intake lots of water if you feel a cold coming on. Jesus said He is the Living Water. If we intake a huge dose of Him in our lives, will that help flush out our sinfulness? Oh, and you are to increase your Vitamin C. For the spiritual sniffles, is the Vitamin C otherwise known as Christ? Do we not need more of Him in us?

Hmmm. Is that why they called Jesus the Great Physician?

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Why Church?

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , , , , on April 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »

praiseHimDo Christians need the Church more than the Church needs Christians?

Absolutely. God established Church. Judeo-Christian beliefs from Genesis to Revelation see the faithful as God’s people- corporately. Paul said in 1 Corinthians that we are a Body. A body is designed to have all of  it’s parts to function properly. Each is different, but important.. The root word is “corpus” which means Body. We are to engage in corporate worship. So why don’t more Christians do that regularly?

A freshman in college sits at the gathering spot on campus with a sign that reads, “Ask me about church.”  She hears people say it is filled with hypocrites and shallow minded-people. She hears others say they can worship Jesus on their own, thank you very much. They read the Bible, they have quiet time with God. They don’t need to go anywhere on Sundays. Others are anti-established religion because the churches have too many rules and only want your money.

She hears all sorts of reasons not to go to church. Her response is a simple shrug and a smile that twinkles in her eyes. “It makes me happy. It brings me peace. It lifts me up. It helps me understand God. I love my church. All I can say is, come see for yourself.”

“The Church is filled with hypocrites and narrow-minded people.”  True – but they are the ones who know they need help. I heard it said that the church is like a spiritual hospital. The people inside know they are sick and are seeking healing. Some heal faster than others. Some do not do what the Great Physician orders. But all are admitted. It may seems hypocritical when we don’t “walk like we talk”, but hopefully, some the medicine of the Word is seeping in and beginning to work on our hearts and attitudes. For some it is a shot directly into the veins. For others, it is more like a slow-drip IV.

Many outsiders mistakenly see conviction as a synonym for narrow- mindedness.  My church has a motto – Come as you are, but leave as God wants you to be. Christianity accepts all – but the gate to salvation is narrow. Jesus said so. He also  said He is the Way, the Truth, not “a way” and “a truth”. The truth is, people don’t want to change. That is being narrow-minded.

I can worship Jesus on my own, thank you very much. I read the Bible, I have quiet time with God. I don’t need to go anywhere on Sundays.  But church is more than paying homage to God. If it wasn’t,  we could just send a check by electronic bank transfer and stay home on Sunday morning in our PJs with our Bibles.

We need to be with fellow believers. Jesus told the disciples if they gathered in His name He’d be with them.  He sent them out two by two – together – to do His work. God knows there is strength in the gathering of His people. Worshiping as a group is the standard throughout the Bible. When did we make it a “me” thing?

Last Sunday in his sermon, my youth pastor referred to the church as Noah’s ark. We need to gather in it to be sheltered from life’s storms. Believers need to be in relationship with each other to comfort, correct, and carry each other’s burdens to the Cross. We should keep each other in check, lift each other up, and provide strength to fight the earthly battles we face in a world that doesn’t hold to the same values and beliefs we do.  No soldier goes into battle alone. Even when David defeated Goliath, I bet there were soldiers praying in the background.

Jesus told Peter that he’d build his church on him – the rock. Peter tells the newly converted, “Save yourselves from this crooked world.” (Acts 2:40.) Not alone…the very next verse says, “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand.” (v.41) Added to what? The church. What did they do next? “They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (v.42)  In other words, they stuck together, remembered Christ together in a shared meal per His command at the Last Supper, and worshiped together. That is church in it’s purest sense.

Satan divides, God unites. Jesus will never call you away from the fellowship with believers to spend time with Him.  If you ever feel like not going to church,  other than being very ill or injured, you can rest assured that is when you need to be there. Church keeps the Body functioning to ward off the disease of sin. There will be a message you need to hear, a prayer that will be answered, or a boost of spiritual fortitude from a hymn to help you in the upcoming week.  Or you may be who God uses to bless someone else. When you don’t go to church, you may be causing someone to stumble. You have no idea who will need your smile, your prayer, or your hug that day. But God does.

They are anti-established religion because the churches have too many rules . Hey, God has rules. They are called the Ten Commandment. One of the Commandments is to keep the Sabbath and make it holy. The rest of them deal with how we are to live and worship. The church is only following God’s commands. True, some congregations have become a bit Pharisee-like. But humans are works in progress. If the church you’ve been attending have rules which seem too strict, seek God’s counsel about that. See if they are man-made or Biblically based. Talk with your pastor. If you are still uncomfortable, don’t stop going to worship. Find another church. Just make sure the church you choose preaches the Ten Commandments of God, and of Christ Jesus – love God and love your neighbor. It should also  spur you to change, to become more Christ like. It should be accepting of those who are sinners, but encourage them not to sin in a loving, life-changing and supportive manner.

Some people grumble that all the church wants is money. Not true. Yes, it is an organization that operates solely on the financial gifts of others. However, it is God who wants your money — and  also your time, and the talents He has bestowed upon you. He asks for only 10% of each– your money, your talents to spread and support the Body, and your time in serving Him on earth.  That 10% to does more good when combined with others’ 10%. There is power in that. The church is the best vehicle for channeling your money.

Besides, tithing is solely a discipline to help you realize all belongs to God, not you. It is a minimum, but one we all should strive to meet, not because God needs it, but because we do. Once you begin to strive to tithe, you will find you have more control over how you spend and save your money, how you spend your time, and how you view your self worth.

Do Christians need the Church more than the Church needs Christians? You bet. But, so does the rest of the world. Open your hearts, open your doors – and each Sunday, walk inside to be blessed and to be a blessing.

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Despite the Drought

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , , on April 26, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Springtime in Texas usually tempt tourists to flock to our back roads. Splattered in carpets of blues and pinks, then shifting to reds and yellows, wildflowers cover the landscape. They spread across fields like God’s colorful quilt, hugging the fence posts and stretching over the edges of the farm to market routes. But, not this year. The lack of rain has taken its toll.

smart phone 003Yesterday, I traveled to a family member’s funeral in the Texas Hill Country. The two-lane highway should have been covered in wildflowers. Instead, mostly brownish-yellow grasses spread along the sides of the road.

The creeks ,once bubbling over the limestone rocks, were dry beds. The larger rivers were so low the cypress trees, which lace the banks, craned their roots out of the dirt in search for water. The temperatures were already soaring into the low 90’s , even though it is April. The thirsty landscape prompted me to guzzle a bit more bottled water as we rode.

Yet, along the way,I noticed a few delicate blossoms hardy enough to pop through the cracked, parched ground. Some clung near rocks. others nestled against cacti, which by the way, were in abundance. They were welcomed signs of renewal and beauty in an otherwise dreary scenery.

Our faith can be that like these sturdy blossoms. Through times of spiritual drought, nuggets of Scripture long ago memorized, verses of a hymn once sung a the top of our lungs with hands lifted high, or a wall plaque or bookmark with a comfortable passage can pop through our worried minds to give us a smile–just as the bluebonnets and buttercups eked through the drought-strickened Texas grasslands this spring. When sickness, death, financial uncertainty or loneliness is all others see, our faith-eyes can detect small patches of color amidst the brown as a sign from our Lord that He is still with us.

If our connections with our Lord are deeply rooted, they will survive any season. Our storehouse of faith-building examples will provide the Living Water we need to survive. We can still blossom despite the dreariness of our circumstances. Our roots are still finding the water that provides life. At the funeral, I saw faces of hope, though some were streamed with tears. Like the wildflowers this year,even in the midst of their grief, they knew our family member was with Christ  Similar to the cypress trees, their rooted beliefs had found refreshment. When the preacher said, “As he breathed his life breath on earth, his soul breathed his first in Heaven,” heads bobbed in affirmation. Though with tissues laced through fingers, smiles were shared.

Seek God during the great times, never stop reading Scripture, attending church, fellowshipping with other believers, or singing hymns. Spend regular quiet times praying and listening.to God. Store up your faith to sustain you, no matter the season or conditions surrounding you. Then, while others are bent low in the heat, you will blossom.

Here are two verses that remind me of the Texas backroads on the way to a funeral one unseasonably hot spring day —

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? Matthew 6:30

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8

 

 

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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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CROWN OF THORNS

Posted in Christian, Nature, tagged , , , , , on April 17, 2014| 1 Comment »

reblogged from tween author Mary Hamilton – http://www.maryhamiltonbooks.com/crown-of-thorns/

Mary found a message from God in this amazing plant —–

crownofthorns-e1397614114398“Have you seen this plant? When I was growing up, I recall my parents having a gnarled old plant like this in a metal bucket. Most of the year, it looked thorny and ugly. But when it bloomed with small round flowers all over, it was beautiful.

The Crown of Thorns is associated with Passion Week. We don’t know whether this plant formed the crown thrust onto Jesus’ head by mocking soldiers. But the spiky stems certainly make it a strong candidate. And the red flowers symbolize the drops of blood that fell from Jesus’ head and wounds.

Last week, I studied Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, just before he was betrayed. The Bible tells us he was so greatly troubled that he sweat drops of blood. I’d always imagined he was grieved and anxious about the physical trial he was about to undergo. But this time, as I read of his anguish and sorrow, I saw a different reason. This time, I realized he was grieving about the weight of sin that would be put on him. About the burden he chose to carry that was my sin. And He grieved for the moment His Father would turn away. He who was one with the Father would soon bear the sins of the world. . .alone. No wonder our Savior cried out to let the cup pass from him. But in the end, He chose to drink it. All of it. Alone. For me. And you.

Little red flowers that look like drops of blood. That remind us there is no greater love.”

Thanks, Mary for this wonderful reminder of what our Savior did for us in the cross.

May  each of you find God in new ways this Holy Week.

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Journey

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , , , , , on April 13, 2014| 1 Comment »

Yesterday I went on a journey. Led by Shelly Sorem, I journeyed with 21 other ladies on the path of the Hebrews in the wilderness from slavery to the Promised Land. (Thanks, Shelly. It was an amazing day.)

During that journey,as recorded in Exodus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus and Numbers,  the children of God learned many lessons – God provides, He redirects, He trains up, He disciplines. Through it all, He is in the midst of the journey. We never travel alone, even though at times it may feel as if we do because we are so inwardly focused.

The Christian radio station I listen to and support is also called the Journey (88.3). When people call in to pledge, we thank them for journeying with us. This journey is towards total trust in God until He leads us home.Their message is, “We are all n this journey together.” How true. Yet we each have our own path to follow. But throughout it,the road we each travel intersect with others,Some we will help, others will help us.

ID-100231942 I use my computer and notebooks to journal my journey. Same root word – jour means daily. Not yearly, by decades, or even by the week. But daily. God provides day by day, one step at a time.

My spiritual journey, when mapped out, resembles an EKG – periods of ups and downs, but never flat-lined. Not yet, while my human heart beats in a fallen world. .As I learn more and more to allow Him to lead me on this journey, I can feel my hope-filled faith easing the bumps like a holy shock absorber. One day, my Lord will make that pathway straight, because I will spend eternity praising at HIs feet unburdened by the earthly cares of this life.

Life is a journey through time. We humans are not meant to be stagnant creatures. Like water, if we stop moving we begin to stink. Our minds, hearts and souls need to be in motion developing, learning, growing. We each are on a journey. We get our ticket at conception. We depart from the womb and when we reach our destination at the end of our lives, we leave our bodies.  Each path is unique. Each journey significant, no matter if it is 8 days or 86 years.

Like the Hebrews in Exodus, God will reveal Himself to us along the way to show us He is in our midst. He will provide exactly what we need, He will correct our path if we choose to follow Him, and He will send others to help us do His will.

As Michael Card sings, there is a joy in the journey – the joy of knowing Our Savior goes before us, with us and behind us, provides for our needs, and brings others to walk a while with us. But most of all, because God is there as well. Where will you find Him along the way?

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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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