Children Of God

Today at Faith Barista we are writing about Jesus.

I can’t think of a better subject.

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This world is hard on people.

Heart Candle (Photo credit: Bob.Fornal)

Oh, none of us like to talk about it, admit it….but, deep down we know it is true.

Life can be harsh and confusing and many times it… well, it can be irritating.

At the very least it wears us down.

I needed a perspective change…

Last night in Bible study, we ladies were discussing the verses about Jesus being The Word, and dwelling among us.

And, once again I was reminded…

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:9-14 NIV

Jesus understood the pain of not being understood. Can we even imagine?  Being accused. Being abused.

These particular verses amaze me…every single time I read them. They are powerful. Jesus, Creator of the world, and yet people didn’t recognize Him. Many did not believe Him….but, to those who did (and do), HE gave the right to become CHILDREN OF GOD.

Stop.

Think about what I just wrote. Read the verses for yourself. Do it.

It is right there in black and white.

We, as believers, are adopted. Signed and sealed, because……..

Jesus chose to love us.

I don’t know about you, but that changes my perspective about today and tomorrow.

How can it not?

I’m carrying this Word in my heart today, with a smile on my face.

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Grrr…attitude

How many of the moments in this life of mine, do I fill with gratitude? Or is it more grrrr….attitude? It’s easy to wear blinders to all the good and instead focus on all the irritating, ugly, and frustrating things of the day. You know what I

mean. The empty toilet paper roll, the dirty towels that need washed, the crumbs all over the counter, left over from a child’s midnight snack, rushed schedules, and running out of toothpaste, short words, short fuses and sensory overload. That is where the gratitude takes a nosedive straight into “grrr…..attitude”. Attitude. Ugh.

I know when the Lord talks to me about my attitude. It goes something like this:
“Dawn, I know your thoughts. You can’t hide them from Me.”

“I can try.”

“How’s that working?”

“Not very well.”

“But, it is all really getting on my last nerve. I want to scream. I feel like a hamster on the wheel, Lord!

Nobody understands!”

“I understand. I’m always here.”

“You know, you complain a lot and that doesn’t make Me happy.”

“I know, and I’m sorry about that. Really, I am. I just can’t seem to help myself.”

“I’ve blessed you in so many ways, you need to open your eyes to all that I AM. Really, see.”

“Yes, Lord.”

No, I’ve never heard the Lord talk to me in an audible voice. But, He is here, in the midst. In the midst of the laundry, and the crumbs. He is here in the flurry of schedules and the hum of daily grind. He moves in the snow covered fields and His majesty is in the star filled night. I hear Him on the wind and see Him as He molds my family members lives. He gives such good things, and it is my responsibility to slow down and see Him. Abide in Him. Know Him more.

Today I am thankful for:

* words of wisdom

* books whose words change me

* the Bible, God’s letter to me

* a real love story

* safety in travel

* beautiful scenes from nature

* time together

* friendships

* a to do list that is getting done…slowly but surely

* anticipation of a trip to Costa Rica

* excitement over classes I will be able to take on autism

* having a husband to snuggle with on cold winter nights

* kids that are growing up, tugging at a mother’s heart

* God who knows all, and sees all…and loves me still

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4  NIV

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Love With Fierce Determination

“Actions can change feelings.”

“Motion can result in emotion.”

“Love is established not so much by fervent promise as by often-repeated deeds.”

I read this in yesterday’s devotional. The truth of the words struck me. Love is not always about the other person, most of the time, it is about me. What am I doing? How am I showing love?

In this world, love has been cheapened, distorted, and tortured. There are people looking for love in all the wrong places, wanting, hoping, seeking to find what seems so elusive. Love is treated like a game, instead of a commitment. Marriage is seen as unnecessary by today’s standards, and vows are said with the intent, “I’ll stay with you as long as I love you.” Love is understood as an emotional whim, not a fierce determination.

There are times, even in close relationships that love feels lost, or old, or broken. None of are perfect and neither is our love. But, there is One who does have perfect love and it is through His Word that we can learn what love should be.

I am reminded what love really is…

1 Corinthians 13:4–8a
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails … (NIV)

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (NIV)

Ephesians 5:33
However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (NIV)

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (NIV)

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (NIV)

1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (NIV)

 

 

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Do Not Be Afraid

It is difficult.

English: Trust in the Lord. with all thine heart, and lean not into thine own understanding. Pass under this sign whenever you enter St John’s Church Hall (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My husband tried to reassure me.

His words were true, and yet… the anxiousness was still there.

Why am I this way? I worry and am nervous… about the things that I cannot see…those things I don’t understand.

Lord, You tell me time and time again to trust You. How it must grieve You, during times, I don’t.

To believe Your promises. You are faithful. You know no other way to be.

Trust by faith and not by sight because…

don’t things often become blurred in this life, and can’t we all end up being visually impaired?

And isn’t it also true that when I can’t see into the future, I run to my Abba father?

I draw close to Him because He can see all things, and it is with Him that I am safe?

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 NIV

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Today I am thankful for:

* a husband who wants me to talk with him

* laundry that needs to be done

* opportunity to positively change lives

* soft pillows and snuggly blankets

* the merging of pink and purple in the early morning sky

* creativity

* breath taking beauty

* Thanksgiving

* family

* things to look forward to

* joy in the midst

* second chances

* love, the greatest of these

* the ultimate destination

* Messiah

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Overcoming Murphy’s Law

murphys law (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

 

Some days….weeks….months can seem like a perpetual loop of “Murphy’s Law”.

 

Sigh.

 

What can go wrong, does. There is not much I can do about it.

 

Sigh, again.

 

Don’t we all have times like this? It’s hard to see the good, know that the sun will shine again…when we are standing in the gray of twilight. It is easy to believe that the to do list will never end, the “unexpected” will become the norm, and there won’t be enough. Negativity is part of the human condition. It is the default mood when our well laid plans go off road.

 

And, I am no different.

 

This weekend I’ve been thinking, contemplating, about my Eucharisteo journal. (see this post to find out about Eurcharisteo) I’ve neglected it for awhile. I wish I hadn’t. I need that list. The list that shows me, proves to me, awakens me to the joy. The blessings.

 

God is always good. His goodness does not depend on whether or not I acknowledge it.

 

But, seeing, listing, accepting His blessings changes me. He does not change…it is me. I am the one that sees things differently when I take time to write down all the good.

 

The days might still be long and sometimes hard, but reading my lists keeps me calm,

 

because I know that He is faithful.

 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9 NIV

 

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* early morning fog laying low on the field

 

* pinks and purples across the sky

 

* peacefulness of early morning as I walk the dog

 

* hugs and kisses

 

* blooming Morning Glories

 

* fresh eggs, gathered early

 

* huge golden moon last night

 

* the first day of October, my favorite months of the year!

 

* a washer and dryer that work

 

* time spent with my husband

 

* being able to go shopping by myself

 

* cooking school with friends

 

* winning a prize!

 

* warm brownies straight out of the oven

 

* helping others in the special needs community

 

* making a good decision…even if no one else knows

 

* God, who is faithful

 

* Jesus who draws me to Himself, and loves me…even when I feel unlovable

 

 

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Join In

 

The Gypsy Mama

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on:::

Join…

I want to join, I want to be a part….

I want to belong.

Don’t we all have those thoughts at some point or another?

When I was kid I wanted to be invited to the slumber parties.

When I was a teen it was the after school clubs.

In college a sorority.

As an adult…acceptance by my colleagues, and my boss.

As a wife…joining my husband on the adventure of a lifetime.

As a mother it was knowing “the secrets” of motherhood and being able to share with my friends.

I, like many of you, have spent my life wanting to join.

All these things are fine. There is nothing wrong with being a part of a group, a club, a relationship.

Being a part, is healthy and good…… no one can be alone, on their own….forever….because, well, it’s lonely.

We are not made to be alone.

It was right around my 11th birthday when I joined the family.

My heavenly Father invited me in…and I accepted. Life changed for me, at that moment.

Joining Him.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener”….. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…..”

 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.  John 15: 1,5,9  NIV

 

Sleepover (Photo credit: Ani-Bee)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In Need Of Rest

For the past week and a half, I’ve been off the radar so to speak.

Life got busy and I didn’t know whether I was coming or going on most days.

Do you ever have days like that? Or weeks? Months?

Life always tugs at us. The immediate and urgent takes over.

I, for one, find myself irritable and exhausted when I try to get everything done.

I want things completed, and I want things done right. Unfortunately, I, like so many other wives and mothers across this great country, feel if I don’t do the task(s) it won’t be done correctly.

I find myself faltering.

This is not what my heavenly Father calls me to do.

He does not want me struggling for perfection in a world that will always be broken and imperfect.

My focus has been in the wrong place.

What He really wants is for me to abide in Him. He will give me rest.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28  NIV

Rest.

That is what I really need.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4  NIV

 

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I Know I’ll Be Home

Today, at A Holy Experience, we are discussing resurrection.

Resurrection. A powerful word. I spoke about it a lot in the weeks leading up to Easter. I understand that resurrection. Jesus, alive, no longer in the tomb! This morning I looked up the word, and I came across these definitions:  resurgence, revival.

I looked at the word, revival. How am I part of that word? What kinds of things can I do, to be revived? I’ll be honest. There are a lot of times that I know I need some revival. Life can be dry. Withered. Needing refreshment.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about Heaven. I used to think about it a lot after my first husband died. Heaven became not just a place, but a destination. The end of a journey. Home.  No, I was not anxious to see Heaven, in the sense that I wanted to die….but, I believe it is natural to think about when you lose someone you love.

Presently, I’ve been thinking on these verses, found in the book of John.

 ¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴You know the way to the place where I am going.”

 ⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

 ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”  John, Chapter 14  NIV

Because He lives, and because I know the truth of John 14:6, I will live too.

I think on Christ’s words.  Don’t be troubled. I’ve gone ahead. I’m preparing a place for you. You will be with me.

Heaven is real.

And this is how my mind works……. I think on the words,”preparing a place”. I know that I try to prepare if people are coming to visit. Fresh sheets on the bed, cleaning the house, special meals prepared….. I want the visitors to feel at home. I think about what Jesus meant when he said he was preparing a place. I know there are Biblical scholars, much more intelligent than I, that probably could speak to this, but even they don’t know for sure. Not really.

I know my family members. I know what their favorite meals consist of, I know the shows they like to watch, the style of clothes they wear, what decorating style they are drawn to, even what flavor of toothpaste they prefer. I know what makes home, home for them.  As Christ’s child, His redeemed, He knows me intimately. He is preparing a place just for me, and if you are also His child, then He is preparing a place just for you, too. A place where you will feel revived, new, and wanted.

I laugh to myself. For as long as I can remember, when shopping, I’ve always wanted to touch everything. The silkiness of the drapes, the plush feel of the couch pillows, the softness of the sheets. The warmth of a fuzzy blanket. God made me very aesthetic. I am drawn to detail and how things make me feel.  When I take pictures of sunsets, the sky ablaze with vibrant color, I feel peace. When I sit on my front porch on a lazy summer afternoon, watching the llamas across the road, I feel content. When I hear the crunch of the gravels on the driveway…I know I’m home.

Don’t I know, in my spirit, that Jesus will have my place prepared? He knows me. And won’t my spirit be revived as I enter my new home? Seeing Him, who makes all things new.

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Do I Measure Up?

We live in a world of “power” ties, and board meetings. Planners, and profit.

Long days, and for some, even longer nights. Not enough hours in the day.

Work outs, and walk outs. Winners and losers and everyone in between.

Children to raise, and lessons to learn and friends to visit and money to earn.

And every day can seem like the next and the wonder is dimmed in a world

that makes us question……

“Are we good enough?”

We look at ourselves in the mirror and wonder if we matter, if any of it matters?

The business man who knows he has to win the next client or he might lose his job.

The mother who is kneeling to clean up the third spill of the morning and wiping crumbs off counters,

and holds her child on her hip and wonders if she is even pretty anymore? Does anyone really see her?

The woman at the office, fingers flying over the keyboard. She has to get this report done, she has no choice.

She wonders what is the point of it all?

The teen who doesn’t know what his future holds. He sees the news on TV and wonders…

He might not even be able to find a job, or pay for a college education.

He feels helpless.

The retiree who questions where she fits in the world. As her body ages, she asks herself, “Can I still keep up?”

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In this fallen world we often wonder, “Do I measure up?“……

Forgetting about grace. God’s amazing, extraordinary, gift of grace.

For God did not send his Son (Jesus) into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.  John 3:17  NIV

He loved us before. When we didn’t care. When we were too busy. Or broken. When the nights were late, when we made mistakes.

When the morning sun brought nothing but another day of “the same old, same old”. When we were left out or left behind. When the boss

yelled, and when the divorce papers came. When the mirror showed an image that wasn’t real and tears fell.When the mountain was steep and

the climber was tired.

He loved us then…He loves us, still. He will continue to love us through whatever life brings our way.

Christ thought you were worth it. He loved you enough to redeem you. That is a difficult concept for many to get their mind around. It is much easier to think that salvation must be earned. That there is something that has to be done in order to be loved by God. That is the world talking, not God.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8  NIV

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Thanking God, on this day,

for:

* the miracle of grace

* the chance to start over

* new beginnings

* friendship

* the geese honking in the winter lake across the road

* the bouquet of flowers on the dining room table

* laughing with my husband, so hard that it’s difficult to stop

* teenagers who are smart and funny and loving

* the desire for something more

* for life’s journey with all of its twists and turns

* the blessing of not knowing what is around the bend (yes, this is a blessing!)

* weathering disappointment and growing character

* for getting back up again…and again

* an eye towards aesthetics

* not being able to count all my blessings…

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From The Now, Into Eternity

Image via Wikipedia

She was beautiful. Her voice was amazing.

She was an icon of the 1980’s.

Her face graced the cover of Seventeen magazine. Her smile radiant.

I have memories, as a teen, of singing her songs to my bedroom mirror.

Millions enjoyed watching her, and co-star Kevin Costner, in The Body Guard.

Now she is gone. People mourn her loss.

I wonder if she ever knew?

Knew she was loved by so many…

I wonder how Whitney Houston felt about herself?

I realize that this woman was chased by her own demons.

There were issues. There always are.

For many, the price of fame is too high.

And sadly, they pay for it with their lives.

Whenever I hear of the death of someone famous, I am reminded…

Reminded that death is the great equalizer.

It doesn’t matter how rich, or how poor.

Talented or not.

A beautiful face or one only a mother could love.

We all will face death one day. There is no escaping it.

No denying it. It will happen.

And the only thing that will be important at that moment

as we cross from the now into eternity….

Do I know Him? Am I His child?

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me–” John 10:14  NIV

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27  NIV

That is what is truly important…above all else.

And no amount of money or fame can change that.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  John 3:16-17  NIV

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Thanking God today for:

* another day of life

* family and friends that love me

* appreciating what I have been given

* simplicity of this Monday morning

* beautiful morning sunshine splashed across the floor

* a full life

* lessons learned

* times of reflection

* a school room at home

* a husband who wants and enjoys spending time with me

* hands that are strong and can carry loads

* bare feet on a cold floor

* a warm, comfy robe

* the beauty of crystal sparkling on the chandelier

* hot chocolate in the crock pot

* knowing God, not just knowing of God

* Jesus. Just give me Jesus.

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