Lessons from my children: 10 Pennies

I've discussed this before but it remains true, my children have two very unique and different personalities.  My son is reaching the age where he is beginning to daily see these differences and annoyance is reaching high levels. Yesterday, there was another incident...  I spent awhile processing the problem and came up with an idea.

I handed him 10 pennies and told him to put them all in his right-hand pocket.  I then told him that every time he responded crankily to his sister he should take one penny out of his pocket and put it in his left-hand pocket. As he was doing that, I told him he could use that time to simply stop and pray.  The pennies were meant to be a physical reminder of a spiritual truth.

I brought up the fruit of the Holy Spirit and we talked through it.

"What is the fruit of the Holy Spirit?"
"Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."
This entire list were the very things he needed as he learns to love his sister in this season.  These moments were opportunities to bring the reality of God into his daily life.  I admitted that I too, struggle in all these areas but that the Holy Spirit has promised that this is what His fruit would look like.  Instead of feeling defeated at these moments, we can instead look at them as opportunities for us to learn how to walk in the Spirit.

We then talked more closely about gentleness.  I shared with him my understanding of gentleness -  the recognition that you have the power to break, harm or destroy the object you are interacting with because it is precious, fragile and inferior in power compared to you.  Because of this you choose to restrain your power and instead use your power to protect it for its benefit.  His words have power to them and that by responding to his sister in gentleness, it was a choice to control that power.  We also discussed self-control, the fact that we all have initial responses to situations but it doesn't mean that is how we have to respond.  Self-control is taking the time to stop and think before we react.  We then prayed and I sent him off for the day.

Well, throughout the day, he came up and whispered in my ear - "Mom, you should probably move a penny over."  So by the end of day, I was informed I should have moved 3 pennies over and he - none!

In Christ,

Symposium of Psalm 103

My morning prayer this morning included Psalm 103.  This Psalm is all-encompassing of the Gospel message; for me it is centering and life-giving.  I've written on it several times and since it blessed me this morning, I am including my post that combines my reflections on this particular Psalm:


As you read, you will notice that this Psalm starts out with bless the Lord, O my soul.  In the beginning, it appears that the Psalmist is going through a hard time, a moment of confusion and despair and therefore he is telling his soul to praise the Lord and not forget all His benefits. He then goes on to list many of the benefits of the Lord.  You will see his mood change and accelerate so that by the end the Psalmist is excitedly telling everyone to praise God, from the heavenly hosts, to the angels, to his very own soul. His mood changes from a place of discouragement to the place of declaring, believing and understanding what is true: THAT HIS LOVE IS GREAT, so GREAT we can't help but praise the Lord, O my soul.

Psalm 103 (AMP)

1BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!

All that is "deepest" within me: In the past, there have been  places, thoughts and ideas in my heart that I've wanted to hide from the Lord. This Psalm has encouraged me to "bless" Him from every place. During my quiet prayers I'm learning to praise Him with all areas.

2Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits-

3Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,
4Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption,
Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;

I once wrote a post called Spiritual Wardrobe, which lists some of the clothes God offers to dress us with. I didn't include this one. I absolutely love the imagery in it - beautifies, dignifies and crowns - to have His loving-kindness and tender mercy on top of your head flowing down!!!

Life in the dumps by Wigstruck

Day 137 by Velo Steve

 5Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

Who redeems your life from the pit... so that your youth, is renewed, like an eagle: I was driving past a dump the other day. It was a windy day and above the dump were hundreds of seagulls "soaring" around the dump. I began thinking in my mind about the differences between a seagull and eagle and I began to wonder how we as Christians actually tend to live.

Seagulls are scavengers. They like to live above the trash and look at it all the time. They don't want to miss out on any of the junk. Like eagles they can "soar" on the wind but they choose to stay close to the earth and all the trash.

Eagles, on the other hand, build their nests high on the cliffs. When they soar on the wind they soar high above the earth. They have been given keen eyesight and when they need to eat they see the tiny item that they need to attack and they can dive down, grab and attack it with the strength of their legs.

I think God is very intentional when He chooses analogies for our lives. He chose an eagle on purpose and I think it is important for us to compare our lives to see if we are operating in the fullness of what He purchased for us.

Do you act like a seagull or an eagle? Both birds soar on the wind (the wind in the Bible is often compared to the Holy Spirit). But where do you let the Holy Spirit take you? Do you only allow Him to raise you high enough to see your trash and the trash of those around it? Or are you like an eagle? Do you allow the Holy Spirit to take you to the heights, where the things of this world become strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace (line from "Fix Your Eyes on Jesus")? Do you soar in the glory of the Holy Spirit and in the strength that He has placed in you? There are times when we do become aware of the things of this earth, our prey and we return to the earth with great precision and insight because He has pointed out something for us to attack and take. We attack with strength; it dies and then we return to the heights.

6The Lord executes righteousness and justice [not for me only, but] for all who are oppressed.

I'd encourage you to pause here and reflect on that one powerful statement.  This is the heart of the Father - this is what He is doing.

7He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

8The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness.

9He will not always chide or be contending, neither will He keep His anger forever or hold a grudge.

If you ask the average person walking along the street what is the God of Christianity like, do you think their answer would include: merciful, gracious, slow to anger, PLENTEOUS in mercy and loving-kindness?  If not why?

10He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.

12As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Did you know scientists today have still not found the ends of the universe?  So guess how far He's removed your sins... Do you live your life in light of that knowledge?

13As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe].

14For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust.

I again love the imagery in these verses: as a Father loves His children so the Lord loves us... We are imprinted on His heart.  What better or safer place is there to be than that?

15As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

16For the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place shall know it no more.

17But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children's children--

As many of us know all too well, this life we live is so brief, but what a beautiful and precious reminder of the weight of who God is for all eternity. For me personally, it is a precious reminder that His love will never fade away and that He has promised to carry the message and benefit of His love to my children and my grandchildren.  The contrast between our frailty and His strength is astounding, so where should we rest - in our momentary troubles of life or in the everlasting mercy and loving-kindness of our Lord?

18To such as keep His covenant [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it] and to those who [earnestly] remember His commandments to do them [imprinting them on their hearts].

We've been invited to imprint Him on our hearts, just like He's imprinted us.

19The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.

20Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word.

21Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, all you His hosts, you His ministers who do His pleasure.

I love this - you who do His pleasure. As children of God, we have the opportunity to carry on the message contained in the Psalm of His love, mercy and grace to those around us!

22Bless the Lord, all His works in all places of His dominion; bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul!

Oh! I just love this Psalm. My thoughts only scratch the surface of this Psalm - I'd encourage you to consider meditating on it for a season. Your soul will be blessed.  By the time I'm done reading it, I always want to start this Psalm over again because it wraps up the immensity of our salvation into one prayer!

In Christ,

A Closer Look at 13 Inspirational Thoughts for 2013: Part 1

I've decided to take a closer look at the 13 Inspirational Thoughts for 2013.  The thought right now is to look at them one at a time.  We will see how it actually ends up being played out:)

Romans 9:25-26

Hosea put it well:

I’ll call nobodies and make them somebodies;

I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved.

In the place where they yelled out, “You’re nobody!”

they’re calling you “God’s living children.”

______________________

2012 was a year of reorientation for me.  I was in "ministry" on many different fronts but instead of thinking the initiation of ministry "came from me" or that my ministry was somehow me "doing something for God" I asked to see the Father's Heart and with the tiny glimpses that I saw I was blown away.

You see, as I began to see the heart of the Father I saw that He was a God of life, a God of freedom, a God of restoration, a God of salvation.  He is about making things right.  My life here on earth is simply grounded in the goodness of who God is, His character.  The establishment of His Kingdom here on earth is simply letting more and more people taste who He is and experience the depths of His love.  

These thoughts brought a shifting of my "ministry" perspective and it brought a humbleness to my heart.  I used to enter ministry with "a mission."  I could no longer do this.  People weren't "things" to be changed by me nor were they objects that could be used to prove "my devotion to God. " Instead, they became individuals deeply loved by God.  As I heard, story after story of disappointment, brokenness, a tearing apart of the value of people's humanity my heart began to beat a little faster.  Instead of crying, "Why, Lord?" I began to be excited because I saw Him moving in to bring an end to this pain and sorrow, to bring justice, healing and restoration.  I saw His desire to start with them to create a new generation of His people.  The Great Physician was on the move and all I had to do was love.

___________

The Heart of the Father

is to change

nobodies to somebodies

the unloved to Beloved

"You're Nobody" to 

"You are Children of God"

Uniting,

Healing,

Redeeming,

Life-giving.

This is God's kingdom advancing on earth.  It is the life-giving truth we His body carry to everyone we meet: whether in our homes, on the street, at work or across the nations.

In Christ,

Photo courtesy: Melanie Guest Photography

13 Inspirational thoughts for 2013

I was doing a quick read through of Romans 9-14 and I was amazed by all the nuggets that were hidden in these few chapters.  I thought I'd give a run-down of the thoughts that jumped out at me as I read it via The Message.  I am not into cliches but after I wrote the post I went back to count how many groups I had - and lo and behold there were13 things that jumped out at me - so I had to go with it. 

These 13 things hit it all - what is the Gospel, what is Salvation, how does God feel about us, how does that effect our everyday life, how should we walk it out with the people we live with, the people we meet walking down the street, our fellow believers, what does practical love look like?

Hosea put it well:

I’ll call nobodies and make them somebodies;

I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved.

In the place where they yelled out, “You’re nobody!”

they’re calling you “God’s living children.”

(Romans 9:25-26)

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Isaiah maintained this same emphasis:

If each grain of sand on the seashore were numbered

and the sum labeled “chosen of God,”

They’d be numbers still, not names;

salvation comes by personal selection.

God doesn’t count us; he calls us by name.

Arithmetic is not his focus.
(Romans 9:27)

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It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!”

(Romans 10:8-12)

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Is there anyone around who can explain God?

Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?

Anyone who has done him such a huge favor

that God has to ask his advice?

Everything comes from him;

Everything happens through him;

Everything ends up in him.

Always glory! Always praise!

Yes. Yes. Yes.

(Romans 11:34-36)

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So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

(Romans 12:1-2)

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If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else;

if you help, just help, don’t take over;

if you teach, stick to your teaching;

if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy;

if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate;

if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond;

if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them.

Keep a smile on your face.

(Romans 12:6b-8)

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Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.


11-13 Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

14-16 Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

17-19 Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

20-21 Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

(Romans 12:16-21)

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You can’t go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.

(Romans 13:10)

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The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

(Romans 13:12-14)

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Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.

(Romans 14:1)

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So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:

“As I live and breathe,” God says,

“every knee will bow before me;

Every tongue will tell the honest truth

that I and only I am God.”

So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.

13-14 Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I’m convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy.

(Romans 14:10-14)

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(God's Kingdom) It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you’ll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.

(Romans 14:17b-18)

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So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault.

(Romans 14:19)

Feel free to print this list out using this link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/118905424.  Also, if you have a minute, let me know which one(s) stood out to you. I'd love to here from you.  Have a blessed start to 2013.

In Christ,

 

Photo courtesy Melanie Guest Photography

A Story to Embody - The Last One

Almost a year ago, I started a series called - A Story to Embody (for the reasoning behind it, click the link).  The series was simply a sharing of the weekly Lectionary readings.  As I reflect back on this, I am once again amazed by the journey God has taken me on this year. 

Without going into too much personal detail our family has been sailing the "What is the purpose of church and why should we even go?" ship for the last 3 years.  This past year has been a year of settling for our family, a year of coming to grips with some of these questions, a year of desiring to re-invest in church locally.  One of the tools used in this process has been A Story to Embody.

So with the close of an old year and in anticipation for the new year I am bringing this series to an end.  If you've enjoyed the Lectionary readings - you can continue to read them via the Internet.  If you use Apps on any of your devices you can just go to your app store and type in "Lectionary."  A Lectionary App will give you the same thing you've been getting here on a weekly basis.

So thank you for being a support system for me this past year by participating in these weekly readings.  Whether you knew it or not, you were providing a piece of "church" for me that was lacking.

Happy New Year!

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Isaiah 61:10-62:3

The Lord makes me very happy;

all that I am rejoices in my God.

He has covered me with clothes of salvation

and wrapped me with a coat of goodness,

like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding,

like a bride dressed in jewels.

11 The earth causes plants to grow,

and a garden causes the seeds planted in it to grow.

In the same way the Lord God will make goodness and praise

come from all the nations.

62 Because I love Jerusalem, I will continue to speak for her;

for Jerusalem’s sake I will not stop speaking

until her goodness shines like a bright light,

until her salvation burns bright like a flame.

2 Jerusalem, the nations will see your goodness,

and all kings will see your glory.

Then you will have a new name,

which the Lord himself will give you.

3 You will be like a beautiful crown in the Lord’s hand,

like a king’s crown in your God’s hand.

Psalm 147:13-21

He makes your city gates strong

and blesses your children inside.

14 He brings peace to your country

and fills you with the finest grain.

15 He gives a command to the earth,

and it quickly obeys him.

16 He spreads the snow like wool

and scatters the frost like ashes.

17 He throws down hail like rocks.

No one can stand the cold he sends.

18 Then he gives a command, and it melts.

He sends the breezes, and the waters flow.

19 He gave his word to Jacob,

his laws and demands to Israel.

20 He didn’t do this for any other nation.

They don’t know his laws.

Praise the Lord!

Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7

Before this faith came, we were all held prisoners by the law. We had no freedom until God showed us the way of faith that was coming. 24 In other words, the law was our guardian leading us to Christ so that we could be made right with God through faith. 25 Now the way of faith has come, and we no longer live under a guardian.

4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son who was born of a woman and lived under the law. 5 God did this so he could buy freedom for those who were under the law and so we could become his children.

6 Since you are God’s children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and the Spirit cries out, “Father.” 7 So now you are not a slave; you are God’s child, and God will give you the blessing he promised, because you are his child.

John 1:1-18

In the beginning there was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were made by him, and nothing was made without him. 4 In him there was life, and that life was the light of all people. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.

6 There was a man named John who was sent by God. 7 He came to tell people the truth about the Light so that through him all people could hear about the Light and believe. 8 John was not the Light, but he came to tell people the truth about the Light. 9 The true Light that gives light to all was coming into the world!

10 The Word was in the world, and the world was made by him, but the world did not know him. 11 He came to the world that was his own, but his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who did accept him and believe in him he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They did not become his children in any human way—by any human parents or human desire. They were born of God.

14 The Word became a human and lived among us. We saw his glory—the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father—and he was full of grace and truth. 15 John tells the truth about him and cries out, saying, “This is the One I told you about: ‘The One who comes after me is greater than I am, because he was living before me.’”

16 Because he was full of grace and truth, from him we all received one gift after another. 17 The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But God the only Son is very close to the Father, and he has shown us what God is like.

In Christ,  

Photo courtesy Melanie Guest Photography