"Carried Along"...

I've never been a dare devil!  When I was a teenager, I do remember going on the roller coaster at Palisades Park.  But said coaster was nothing compared to what exists today.  Even on those momentous birthdays (like 40, 50, 60), I never even considered para-sailing, sky diving, zip lining, scuba diving, etc.  I guess you would say that I play it safe.  But I know I miss out!

Recently two of my friends were shocked that, at my age, I didn't know how to swim.  In my defense, I never had opportunity to learn as a child...and even more than that, some bratty kid at a community pool had held my head underwater for what seemed like an eternity.  So to this day, I have a hard time yielding myself to water, to just float and be "carried along"...even on a raft or inner tube.

Another area I have difficulty with is dance.  My secret desire is to be able to dance my heart out.  But aside from dancing with my toddler grandsons, I just can't abandon myself to dance...except maybe in private.  My daughter recently posted on facebook:

I’m so stiff. In dance at University of Dayton I remember the instructor saying that true dancing came after learning the steps and just letting it flow. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to do that in dance or life.

My niece is a dancer, and I so admire and envy her. She at a young age learned to abandon herself to the dance and "just let it flow."

But even though physically I have a very difficult time letting myself be "carried along,"  there is one area where I am learning and growing in this kind of abandonment.  And that is in my relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.

For much of my Christian walk, I've been stiff and unyielding, not on purpose, but mostly out of ignorance.  I've  thought I was supposed to live a godly life, minister to others, etc. with God's help...which He would give if I prayed correctly etc.  But now I know that as I abandon myself to "His dance," so to speak, HE will carry me along in the flow of HIS purpose and pleasure.

I've been doing some writing lately to finish a book project.  A spiritual mentor of mine said that he was praying for me that I would be "carried along" by the Holy Spirit as I write.  Here is the verse he shared:

...men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21b ESV

The cool thing is that this word in the Greek is the same one used in Acts 27.  This passage is the account of Paul being taken as a prisoner to Rome.  As the ship carrying him and others encountered a severe storm, the sailors knew not to fight it but rather yield to the wind.  They allowed the ship to be driven along without their control:

...and when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along. ...fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along. Acts 27:15,17 NASB.

What a great metaphor for life in the Spirit...not resisting but letting ourselves be carried along in His empowering stream.

This also makes me think of Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus:

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:7-8 ESV

The movement of the Spirit is a powerful thing...amazing, beyond comprehension...a mystery.  And those who yield to His flow experience "skill beyond their skill," "words beyond their words," "love beyond their love," "fullness beyond their fullness."

So what does it take?  Jumping into the "Ocean that is God," yielding to His indwelling life, and letting His Spirit carry you along for His purpose and pleasure.

Holy Spirit, living Breath of God,
Breathe new life into my willing soul.
Bring the presence of the risen Lord
To renew my heart and make me whole.
Cause Your Word to come alive in me;
Give me faith for what I cannot see;
Give me passion for Your purity.
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.

Holy Spirit, come abide within;
May Your joy be seen in all I do-
Love enough to cover ev'ry sin
In each thought and deed and attitude,
Kindness to the greatest and the least,
Gentleness that sows the path of peace.
Turn my striving into works of grace.
Breath of God, show Christ in all I do.

Holy Spirit, from creation's birth,
Giving life to all that God has made,
Show your power once again on earth;
Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways.
Let the fragrance of our prayers arise.
Lead us on the road of sacrifice
That in unity the face of Christ
Will be clear for all the world to see.

You might also like:  Resurrection Dance...let it flow!

I Saw a Tree by the Riverside...

Back in the late 1970's, my husband John was a junior high youth pastor at McLean Bible Church in McLean, VA.  During that time, the junior high kids turned us on to Evie Tornquist's uplifting music.  Often when "our kids" would meet at our house, the Evie albums would come out of their covers (yes, they were LP's in those days). Our son Jeremy was a toddler at that time.  So before our Bible studies would begin, he would entertain all of us by dancing to "Step Into the Sunshine" or another of Evie's upbeat songs.  And even during our at-home times together, Jeremy and I would dance and sing along with Evie's simple, yet spiritual music.

A few years ago, I tried to find what had been my favorite Evie song, but to no avail, until...

My friend Kitty just "randomly" shared that she had been looking for a song about trees and found one by "someone named Evie."  Eureka!  My song!

So here it is...simply titled, "The Tree Song."  But first why I like it...

This song makes me think of Psalm 1 and how I long for my precious son and darling daughter, along with their spouses and their children, to grow like the sturdy tree that sinks its roots deep...deep into our Lord God and His holy Word.  And I also long for this for my amazing grandsons.

So with a prayer to that end...and the Psalm...and the treasure of a song!  Thank you, Evie...and thank you, my friend Kitty!

Psalm 1 NLT

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.

They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.

For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

Tree Song by Evie Tornquist

I saw a tree by a riverside One day as I walked along Straight as an arrow and pointing to the sky Growing tall and strong How do you grow so tall and strong? I said to the riverside tree This is the song that my tree friend sang to me.

I've got roots growing down to the water I've got leaves growing up to the sunshine And the fruit that I bear is a sign of life in me I am shade from the hot summer sun-down I am nest for the birds of the heaven I'm becoming what the Lord of trees has meant me to be A strong young tree.

I saw a tree in the city streets Where buildings block the sun Green and lovely I could see It gave joy to everyone How do you grow in the city streets? I said to the downtown tree This is the song that my tree friend sang to me.

I've got roots growing down to the water I've got leaves growing up to the sunshine And the fruit that I bear is a sign of life in me I am shade from the hot summer sun-down I am nest for the birds of the heaven I'm becoming what the Lord of trees has meant me to be A strong young tree.

Take a look at my new Bible study/devotional book -- The With-ness of our God: Relationship in Every Dimension

Choose your FACE...Change your DAY

Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart. Proverbs 27:19

I love 4 year olds...they understand so much!  A few years ago, I told my then 4 year old grandson Evan that we choose our attitude.  And he got it!

I didn’t always think that was true, but the older I get the more I believe our choosing has a lot to do with it. And if we are children of God, the living, indwelling Christ empowers us to have an appropriate attitude for the situation.

I experienced this simple truth with another 4 year old when I was teaching preschool many years ago.

It was getting toward the end of the school year...maybe April or early May.  I was reflecting on the precious group of "free spirits" entrusted to my care that year.  The Lord had done some amazing spiritual work in the lives of those five four-year-old's and in my own life as their teacher.

But I was somewhat distressed, feeling that I hadn't quite "reached" one little boy.  I felt that way because he usually looked stressed.  And he often had a negative expression on his face...what might be called a "NO" face.  Somewhat resigned to the fact that "you can't win them all," I just kept on doing what we were doing.

One day, the children were washing their hands two by two.  Little Johnny (not his real name) was not acting properly toward the child at the sink with him.  So of course, I reprimanded him.  He glared at me with his "NO " face, obviously not happy!

I said, "Johnny, don't give me that face!  Give me a gentle face!"  Immediately, Johnny changed his face...and peace came over him!  I was amazed!

Then just about an hour later, we were lining up by the door to go home.  At the end of each class day, I would stand at the door and face the children, waiting until they formed a line in front of me.  Then we would proceed down the hall and out to the waiting moms.  I looked at Johnny who, at that point, had the usual, somewhat negative, expression on his face.  When he made eye contact with me, he must have remembered our little interchange at the sink.  He immediately relaxed his expression and smiled.

Later I asked the Lord about it.  "Lord, what just happened?"  He led me to an incredible Scripture I had never noticed before:

A man's wisdom illumines his face and causes his stern face to change. Ecclesiastes 8:1b  NASB

Days later, Johnny's mom came up to me and said, "Jan, you changed Johnny's life!"  She had seen a new peace in her child.  And I praised God, knowing it wasn't me who made the change, but the Holy Spirit working in one little boy's life by enabling him to "change his face."

Not long ago, this very thread ran through discussion with a group of friends.  One woman said she wanted to be more gentle, so the Lord led her to start closing doors and cabinets quietly.  Another person wanted to not respond to mistakes in anger and frustration, so he began to speak out a gentle answer and found that it turned away his own wrath. (Proverbs 15:1)

After my husband's heart attack, John and I went to his cardiac rehab class called, "The Emotional Side of Heart Disease."

This was an excellent class about managing stress...especially the stresses associated with having just suffered a heart attack.  We both looked at each other when Patty, the rehab nurse, read an excerpt from an article called, "Laughter Really is the Best Medicine."

Move joyfully.  If you wake up in a bad mood, act like you're in a good mood, and your body can actually 'fake out' your own brain.  It's called 'fake it till you make it.'  When the copier breaks down in the office, instead of hitting it, try twirling while you tell people the copier isn't working.  Trust me, when you do this, it's impossible to feel stressed.  By substituting playful gestures for angry ones, your brain often short-circuits your own stress.

I'm not so sure I can see my engineer husband twirling at the copier, but this principle seems to be at the heart of the way the body and mind work together.

But the even better news for us believers is that we have the mind of Christ, and so we can choose to submit our body to Him and His indwelling life. We can "chose our face" and expect that His empowering, indwelling, resurrection Life will live through us...as us, all to the glory of His Name!

So dear brothers and sisters, "chose your face"...and change the way you live your human life in this world...to the glory of God...one day at a time!

...we have the mind of Christ. 1Cor 2:16b

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Phil 2:5-8

That was for This: Marisa's Story

Marisa & Brian Moore

This is my young, beautiful, godly friend Marisa.   She is a sweet, gentle soul who loves the Lord, His Word, and her family.

I met Marisa in a Moms' Bible study/prayer group I was with several years ago.  And I fell in love with her!

Apex moms group

Marisa is a hard-worker.  She has four children ranging in ages from 8 months to 8 years.  Just take a look at her delightful little cherubs:

Mail Attachment

Don't you just feel like grabbing them right off the screen to hug their adorable little necks?  Yet, as all moms know, those four precious kiddos, especially at those ages, would be a handful for any young mom.  But not only that, Marisa is homeschooling!

Let's just say, she's busy...and, I would image, tired!

Oh, to have a break!

Wait!  It's Saturday night and that means CHURCH! Ah, church, with its peaceful, uplifting hour or two of praise & worship and its nurturing from the Word. Surely, Marisa will have that much needed break as well!

But one such Saturday evening church service, the Holy Spirit had other plans for Marisa.  And she shared it in a comment on a previous blog post.  These are her words:

...I can find myself striving and striving some more to be what I think I should be, but it is ultimately Him in me that brings about any good.

And He is SO good to enable us to act upon the prompters He places upon our hearts.

One Saturday evening I had a distinct urge that I should go volunteer in the church nursery even though I hadn’t signed up for that particular date.

When I told the hall coordinator I could serve she started crying.

Her husband’s unbelieving parents had come to the service that evening and my offer allowed her husband to be free to sit with his parents during the sermon.

Does that amaze you, as it does me?  Here this young mom, who so deserved that much needed break, in a very real sense, died to her own self-interest.  Why would she do that?   In order that life could be offered to someone else.  She may not have even been thinking along those lines.  However, she followed, what I like to call, the Lord's Holy Nudge,* rather than her own self-interests and legitimate need for a time apart from kids.

She found to be true what Paul had written centuries ago,

[We are]...always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you. 2 Corinthians 4:10-12 NASB

Only eternity will tell what "life" might have been birthed as a result of Marisa's responding to the Spirit's Holy Nudge.*

What about you and me, my friend?  Are we following those inner promptings?  They may not be our imagination, but rather the Spirit's call to die to our own convenience, comfort, interests, so that the Lord's life can be birthed in another.

If we do, we can experience, in and through our lives, the outpouring of the indwelling life of Christ:

• the outflowing streams of living water (John 7:37-39),

• the fruit...more fruit...much fruit (John 15),

• all to the glory of God, for His purpose and pleasure (Acts 13:36a).  Amen!

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 NASB

fruitful vine

*More about the Holy Nudge in our next post.

That was for This: Living the "Not I but Christ" Life

I've been thinking a lot lately about how God works within us...through circumstances, people, thoughts, events, to prepare us for what's ahead.  Maybe that's what Paul meant when he wrote,

...God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 NLT

sun & clouds

If that's true (and I believe it is), we can't take credit for anything...not even our praying and asking, not even our thoughts and desires.  Let me illustrate.

Early last month, I had just returned from a three week vacation, when I had to jump right into the beginning of school with its teachers' meetings, preps, and first week of class.  Then just as those preps and meetings were happening, I started getting sick.  To make a long story short, three weeks later my health finally began to turn the corner.  Needless to say, I was weak, under a pile of cleaning and laundry, when the Lord put a bizarre prayer in my heart,

Lord, make me spontaneously hospitable!

Now, why would I pray that?  I know that prayer didn't originate with me.  God Himself "set me up"!  In the course of my illness and recovery, someone had stopped by unexpectedly.  Later, I realized that I hadn't been as welcoming as I could have been.  Thus, my prayer!

They say you should watch what you pray for.  But my Bible says that it's the Holy Spirit that prays in and through us (Romans 8:26-29).

So you know what happened?  That's right!  Within days of that God-initiated and God-answered prayer, I got a phone call...right in the middle of my work week...with my house a wreck and with empty cupboards because of having been sick so long.  The phone call was a request for overnight lodging from my cousin for the following night.

"Well, of course!  We would be happy to have you!"

hospitality

God Himself had made me more than willing.  He enabled me to quickly pull my house together and even have nutritious food ready:  chicken rice soup and vanilla cake with berries.  And best of all,  my husband John and I had a delightful visit with my cousin that evening as we listened to his adventures from his travels out West.

When all was said and done, I realized THAT WAS FOR THIS!  That prayer was for this overnight visit...giving me the desire and the ability to "pull it off."

I have many other stories of that was for this.  And maybe some of those will be for future blogs.  But for now, let me give you some Scriptures.  And then as you reflect on your own life, maybe you would like to share one of your that was for this situations.  You can do so in the comment section.  I would love to hear your stories as you give glory to the One Who is always working within us both to will and to do (Philippians 2:12-13).

 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is [united] with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10 ESV

But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.John 3:21 ESV

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20 KJV

For from Him[as the Source] and through Him [as the Means] and to Him[as the Goal] are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36 NASB

Unknown-1

Returning to JOY!

I have this recurring image.  It began in worship one Sunday years ago.  I was struggling emotionally about some issue.  Then out of the blue, I had a sense, not a literal vision, but rather a picture in my spirit.  The picture was of Jesus and me climbing a mountain.  He had me by the hand and was carrying a "Santa-like" sack on His back.

Suddenly He stopped climbing and turned to me saying, "We can't go up any higher until you throw that burden you are carrying into my sack.  You need to let ME carry it!"

So I threw it in!  And oh, the JOY and peace...and we kept climbing together!

Now often when I'm struggling with an offense, a disappointment, a slight, a rejection, whatever, I see and hear my Traveling Companion, my Guide, my Empowering Savior say, "Okay, Jan, throw it in!  We can't go any higher if you don't!"

And when I throw my burden in Jesus' sack, freedom and JOY flood my soul!  Then we can go on climbing hand in hand together, why?  Because...

...the JOY of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

How about you?  Do you have a burden that you weren't meant to carry?  Throw it into Jesus sack!  Return to JOY and keep on climbing hand in hand with Him!

Lord, take me higher and higher in my experience of YOU and all there is of Your Fulness!  The world has a downward drag!  But I cling to You, rejoicing in my Risen, Indwelling Son of God!  Amen!

It is God's will that I should cast On Him my care each day; He also bids me not to cast My confidence away.

But oh, I am so foolish That when taken unawares, I cast away my confidence And carry all my cares. T. Baird

...casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.  1 Peter 5:7 NKJV

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.  Psalm 55:22 NIV

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.  Hebrews 10:35 NKJV

 

The Sunrise Club

sunrise 8/2013 NJ

Conrad and me

I have a Sunrise Club.  My brother Conrad and I are charter members.  Whenever I go to the coast in NJ, I must get up to see at least one sunrise.  Often Conrad would call me to make sure I was up, and he would join me. Through the years, various members of extended, as well as immediate, family would sometimes come along.  But no one seriously devoted to it like Conrad and me, until...

Kaden waiting for the sun

My grandson Kaden decided to join my club.  He knew full well that the basic requirement is to see at least one sunrise.  So that we did early one morning last year when I visited Kaden in California.  We saw the sun gloriously arise over the mountains to the east of their home in Menifee.

Kaden watching sunrise

However, as we East Coast sunrise watchers all know, the Cadillac of all sunrises takes place over the ocean.  And so this summer Kaden joined me for one of those glorious events...enjoyed every day by fishermen and early morning beach-combers alike.

We even were able to get Kaden's cousins (2 of my other grandsons), Evan & Carter, to get up to watch a sunrise in Virginia Beach on their vacation.  So our number is increasing!

jeremy with evan and carter

with the boyscortney

You may ask why I love sunrises so much?  Because to me a sunrise is a magnificent picture of the manifested glory of our God.  Listen to what the psalmist says,

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.[a] Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.The sun rises at one end of the heavens    and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat. Psalm 19:1-6 NLT

VA sunrise

It gets so exciting when after the gorgeous array of color of the early dawn, the tiny sliver of sun begins to peek forth.  And then the reflection on the water...Oh my!

cloudy sunrise

But as we all know, especially sunrise watchers, many days we are disappointed by no visible glory.  The clouds, the rain, the fog, the haze may all obscure the rising of the sun.  But we all know that the sun has still risen, often with a silvery beauty all its own.

How do we know that the sun has arisen?  By faith!  Because we know that we know that we know that the sun rises every day!

And that's why I now love all sunrises -- because each and every one is a picture of the glory of God, some times more manifested than at other times.

Isn't that also true about life?  Sometimes God manifests Himself in tangible ways, like in the love of a mother for her child, in an encouraging note from a friend, in a deep experience in prayer and worship.  But then at other times, His glory is obscured, as in the death of a loved one, the suffering of rejection, the struggles of financial need.  It's then that by faith we can say, "I know that I know that...

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth!" Job 19:25 NIV

So maybe you'd like to get up early one morning and view a sunrise.  Enjoy the glory of God in its amazing magnificence or the glory of God in its magnificent obscurity, remembering that

...faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 ESV

And no matter what kind of sunrise it is, let me know if you'd like to join my Sunrise Club...or better yet, my SONrise Club!

silvery sunrise

My Redeemer

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning Who told the ocean you an only come this far? Who showed the moon where to hide 'til evening Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

Well I know my Redeemer lives I know my Redeemer lives All of creation testify This life within me cries I know my Redeemer lives

The very same God that spins things in orbit He runs to the weary, the worn and the weak And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken They conquered death to bring me victory

Now I know my Redeemer lives I know my Redemer lives Let all creation testify Let this life wihtin me cry I know my Redeemer, He lives

To take away my shame And He lives forever I'll proclaim That the payment for my sin Was the precious life He gave But now He's alive And there's an empty grave.

And I know my Redeemer, He lives I know my Redeemer lives Let all creation testify This life within me cries I know my Redeemer lives

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Vacation-Blog04-150x150

Lessons from a family vacation  {We become like what we focus on}

Doors...One always Open, one to keep tighly shut

LORD, I'm scared!  I feel something ugly and destructive arising.  The combativeness of my imposter-flesh is rearing it's ugly head...seeking to burst forth!  It scares me that in a moment of weakness, I may open the door to that ugly monster, disguised as "rights" and promising "satisfaction."  If I choose to open to it, forgetting that I died to that nasty, already dead thing, it will flood out to destroy everybody and everything in its wake.

You and I have been friends long enough for me to know that whatever I open up (yield) to controls me.  That dead thing, behind that padlocked door is awaiting final destruction.  Why would I yield to it and unlock the door?  Your door is always open...in fact YOU are the DOOR!

I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. Revelation 3:8 ESV

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:9 ESV

I yield to YOU, O precious Savior.  Carry me along in YOUR loving way.  May your indwelling, empowering LIFE have control...bringing harmony, peace, joy, love...responses rather than reactions.  By Your mercy and grace...that YOU might be satisfied and honored...unto YOUR purpose and pleasure today and always.  Amen.

For more on the ins and outs of the flesh in the Christian life see: UNION-with-CHRIST-a-summary

Birthday Blog -- All of Grace!

Testimony of a Recovering Legalist: Yes, that's me...and it's all about one word...GRACE, God's miraculous and matchless GRACE.

A Branch, First Communion-01

So on this my birthday, I want to praise the Name of the HOLY ONE...for saving every day and sanctifying every day...this needy, but Christ-filled daughter of His!

This is my song! Every line has been my life...and I praise Him that...

He who began a good work in [me] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil 1:6

Grace and Nothing More!

A Branch - Convent

I thought while on this voyage long My strength God would increase And at some point along the way My struggling would cease I fought with boldness, wind and wave And yet the skirmish lost Exhausted, all provision gone The channel still uncrossed As lifeless I in stillness drift Just strength enough to pray It's only then I feel the surge That speeds me on my way

By His own hand and faithfulness He steers me toward a distant shore And the wind that billows in the sail Is grace and nothing more Yes, it's grace and nothing more

Me & my Branch pruned

I seek the bloom of holiness He leads me deep within Reveals the hardness of my heart Unearths my hidden sin My barren soul groans in despair In brokenness I cry Oh, God, I find no hope in me A smile His sweet reply For where the tears of brokenness Have soaked the fallow ground The tender shoots of holiness Now spring up all around

blooming but not ripe

Strength in my weakness Joy through the pain Hope when I'm helpless Loss my greatest gain

By His own hand and faithfulness He steers me toward a distant shore And the wind that billows in the sail Is grace and nothing more Yes, it's grace and nothing more

​CHRIST IN ME, the hope of glory! Colossians 1:27 June 16, 1947

I live...yet not I, CHRIST!

U of A

About nine years ago, our son-in-law was stationed in Tucson, Arizona [home of our Alma Mater, the U of A, "Go Wildcats!"  But I digress...].  When the school year for my ESOL class had ended in June, I flew to Tucson for an extended visit. Beth and Nate were both working during the daytime, so I had some lovely, restful, sun-filled (and "Son-filled") time alone by the pool.  At that time, I was reading some of Brennan Manning's books.

signature of Jesus

One day I was reading The Signature of Jesus as I soaked up the Arizona sun by the pool.  I was somewhat annoyed to see that a man lying on a lounge nearby was straining to see what I was reading.   He struck up a conversation, and I found out that he was a chemist from Oregon.  Then the question came,  "What are you reading?  What's it about?"

When I told him about the book, he replied,  "You must be a devout Christian."

I replied, somewhat ashamed at my original annoyance, "Jesus is my Life!  I can't imagine living life without Him.  There's a Settled Presence no matter what I go through."

My Lord Jesus Christ IS my Life.  It wasn't always so.  Religious ritual, ministry, being a good wife and mother, health and physical fitness, and such have more often than not, taken top billing.  But as I get closer to the end of life on this earth, I realize more and more that all of that is not important compared to the excellency of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and being found in HIM who is my Life Philippians 3:7-11

As the Apostle Paul declared,

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.   Galatians 2:20 ESV

Gal 2:20

What about you, dear friend?  Is He your Life?  Or are lesser things competing and winning out?  Surrender to Him by faith today...choose HIM!

Lately, I can't stop listening to this song...and singing it at the top of my lungs!  Would you like to join me and give Him praise?

Crucified with ChristAs I look back on what I thought was livingI'm amazed at the price I choose to payAnd to think I ignored what really matteredCause I thought the sacrifice would be too greatBut when I finally reached the point of giving inI found the cross was calling even thenAnd even though it took dying to surviveI've never felt so much alive. CHORUS: For I am crucified with Christ and yet I liveNot I but Christ that lives within meHis Cross will never ask for more than I can giveFor it's not my strength but HisThere's no greater sacrificeFor I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

As I hear the Savior call for daily dyingI will bow beneath the weight of CalvaryLet my hands surrender to His piercing purposeThat holds be to the cross but sets me freeI will glory in the power of the crossThe things I thought were gain I count as lossAnd with His suffering I identifyAnd by His resurrection power I am alive

BRIDGE:And I will offer all I haveSo that His cross is not in vainFor I found to live is ChristAnd to die is truly gain

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 Caught in the Web --

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My Spiritual Journey

The God of my Mothering: the Unchanging God

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Where had the years gone? Our son Jeremy was already married for 3 years and moving on with life.

Our daughter Beth --the "baby" of the family-- had just graduated from UD, gotten married, and moved to Arizona all in one month.  To top it off, our surrogate daughter Michelle, who had lived with us for about 3 years, moved to California a couple days after Beth's wedding.

Scan 9

Here I was with the "Empty Nest."  I guess I had lived as if there would always be young people in my home to spice up life.  Regrets started flooding in:  "I should have relished every moment more consciously."  " I should have enjoyed it more, rather than taking everything so seriously." And on and on with those thoughts that "eat you alive".

To add to all that, my mom was turning 80 and my mother-in-law, 81.  A friend of ours told us that statistically very few of those who enter their 80's live to be 90.  That hit me like a ton of bricks.  Chances are, we would be burying our moms in the next 10 years.  I guess I had taken it for granted that my hero of a mom would only be a phone call away or a day's drive away.

It wasn't that I didn't have other things in my life.  I had a "big" life...teaching ESL class, Bible studies, retreats...

G'ma & Babci 2008

But I was grieving!  Emotionally, I went into a months-long melancholy.

I started to ask myself, "What really endures in this life?"  In my head, I knew the answer, but I needed an answer for my heart.  Everything really important to me was drastically changing, and I guess I hadn't seen it coming!  Or maybe, being as independent and self-starting as I am, I didn't realize that it would be so hard!

Well, God, in His usual amazing way, started answering my questions and meeting me in my struggles.  In my devotions one day, I read:

In ages past You laidthe foundation of the earth,and the heavens are the work of Your hands.Even they will perish, but You remain forever; they will wear out like an old clothing. You will change them like a garment, and they will fade away. But You are always the same; Your years never end. The children of Your people will live in security.Their children's children will thrive in Your presence. Psalm 102:25-28 NLT

So what really endures no matter the changes in life?  The Everlasting GOD and those who belong to Him from generation to generation.

Let me ask you, dear moms,

When the "dust" of your mothering has settled, and you find yourself with "the Empty Nest"... When you start to lose the heroes of the previous generation, and you find yourself nearing the top of the generational ladder... What will stabilize you for the days ahead? To Whom will you turn...Who will never change and will be there for you no matter the changes?

May you find your comfort and stability in our Faithful, Unchanging God. And may you find your purpose in an ever deepening walk with Him.

FAITHFUL ONE Brian Doerksen

Faithful One, so unchanging Ageless One, You’re my Rock of Peace Lord of all, I depend on You I call out to You, again and again I call out to You, again and again

You are my Rock, in times of trouble You lift me up when I fall down All through the storm Your love is the anchor My hope is in You alone

Hebrews 12: Our Turn to Run!

running the race of faith

...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus  Hebrews 12: 1-2

God calls us to own our lives...to hug them to our breasts and to live them with all our hearts!  No place do we see this truth more clearly than in the letter to the Hebrews, chapter 12.

Using the imagery of running, God says that now it's...

...our turn to run our lap in the race of faith! 

And as we run, we each need to remember these truths:

1.  I’m part of something bigger than myself.

Since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us... Heb 11:1 - 12:1a

See the  Hebrews 11 blog to meditate on this truth.

Hebrews 11

2.  There are hindrances to my running.

...let us also lay aside every encumbrance [weight], and the sin which so easily entangles us... Heb 12: 1b

spider web photo July 2011

See Caught in the Web.

3.  My lap is uniquely mine.

    ...and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us...  Heb 12: 1c

For encouragement to be who God made you to be and stop comparing yourself to others or letting others deter you by their own insecurity, see: The Green-Eyed Monster and other Fruit Killers

eric liddell

4.  My success in running depends on my focus.

...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of  faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”   Heb 12: 2-3

See Lessons from a Family Vacation: We become like what we focus on.  Glory and grace when we focus on HIM!

fix eyes on Jesus

5.  Submission to my “Coach’s” training program is key.

--His process is "discipline" (complete child training):

You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;

Father's discipline

--His motive is love:

For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,

--His method is ruthless, but fatherly:

And He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but...

See The Father's Pruning

A Pruned Branch in the Vine 138_5713

--His goal is holiness; family resemblance:

He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.

--His result is fruitfulness--righteousness, peace:

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

See Return to the Vineyard: Reflections on Growth

fruitful vine

--His exhortation is "cooperate":

Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Heb 12: 4-13

See Love's Abiding Harvest

finish lines

6.  I must be a “team participant”.

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. Hebrews 12: 14-17

It's so easy to get bitter over life's hardships and the "irregular people" in our lives...even "irregular Christian people."  Yes, there are fellow teammates who just don't get it...actually we may be one of those at times, huh?

I love this quote by Henri Nouwen entitled, "Stepping Over Our Wounds."

Sometimes we have to "step over" our anger, our jealousy, or our feelings of rejection and move on [a.k.a. run on].  The temptation is to get stuck in our negative emotions, poking around in them as if we belong there.  Then we become the "offended one," "the forgotten one," or "the discarded one."  Yes, we can get attached to these negative identities and even take morbid pleasure in them.  It might be good to have a look at these dark feelings and explore where they come from, but there comes a moment to step over them, leave them behind and travel on [a.k.a. run on]. Bread for the Journey, Henri Nouwen.

Conclusion

Do you see what all this means -- all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on?  It means we’d better get on with it.  Strip down, start running -- never quit!  No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.  Study how he did it.  Because he never lost sight of where he was headed -- that exhilarating finish in and with God -- he could put up with anything along the way:  cross, shame, whatever.  And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.  When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that will shoot adrenline into your souls. Hebrews 12: 1 - 3(The Message)

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We’re pilgrims on the journey Of the narrow road And those who’ve gone before us line the way Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary Their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses Let us run the race not only for the prize But as those who’ve gone before us Let us leave to those behind us The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

Chorus Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful May the fire of our devotion light their way May the footprints that we leave Lead them to believe And the lives we live inspire them to obey Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone And our children sift through all we’ve left behind May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

Class notes:  MY TURN TO RUN -- Hebrews 12

Homework: Read Hebrews 12:25-13:25 Answer questions in Hoping for Something Better, p. 203-205 Read chapter 10 & Conclusion,  Hoping…

Walkin' n talkin' n...Talkin' n walkin'...

Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us? Luke 24:32

Carter and I have this thing goin' -- walkin' n talkin'...n talkin' n walkin'...n walkin' n talkin' n....on and on and on.

It's pure delight for both of us, because Carter is 3-1/2...and I'm Carter's Babci (Polish for Grandma).  I know it won't last forever -- he'll grow up and become interested in many other things.  But for right now, we have each other and walkin' n talkin' n talkin' n walkin'!

Well, what is walkin' n talkin' n talkin' n walkin'?  It's simply this:  we just walk (or trot if you're Carter) and chat up a storm at a local, enclosed shopping area.

What do we talk about?  Anything and everything...from the mundane to the sublime -- like blue ugly dolls to how many frosties (snowmen) do we see...to which one we like best (mine's the one with the plaid scarf, his is the one with the sparkly colors)...or whether the train will be running in the children's department of the shoe store.

Carter & I talk about how we love each other, and how we are "best buds."  We also talk about how God wants him to obey mommy and daddy, and how Jesus living in him obeys through him (explained in 3 year old talk, of course!).

And of course, we eat burgers and play games in our booth at Buffalo Wild Wings.   What a glorious day!

My time with Carter reminds me of another pair of "Walkers & Talkers" -- Jesus and His disciples.  They "walked and talked" everywhere together --  through grain fields, through vineyards, from one town to another to another, and even out on the water...chatting up a storm.

Of course, Jesus being the Rabbi did the most significant talking.  But the disciples chatted too, sometimes putting their "foot in their mouths"...like asking who would be the greatest in the kingdom, etc.  But that was okay because Jesus loved them anyway...they were "best buds!"

Perhaps my favorite "walk" of theirs is the one on the road to Emmaus right after Jesus' resurrection (Luke 24).  Unlike my walks with Carter, the two disciples didn't even realize that it was their Lord Jesus Christ that was walking with them.

And He was sharing the Scriptures with them that spoke of Himself and His death, burial, and resurrection.  It wasn't until the intimate activity of eating together, that their eyes were opened to know HIM as their walking companion.

I think it's the same with us present-day disciples of Jesus.  We often "go our merry (or not so merry) way" feeling like the Lord is "up there somewhere" sending down a little help if we ask.  When in reality He is "God with Us" in close association with us at all times.  In fact, He is united to us in oneness.

A while ago, I was going through what felt like rejection in some areas of my life.

It all left me confused and disheartened...and LONELY!  I decided to go for a walk through a beautiful senior center near our home.

As I walked, I moaned and groaned to myself:  NOBODY really knows me...NOBODY really cares...NOBODY really gets who I am!

I sat down on the grass in a grove of trees, feeling all ALONE.

Then came the still small voice of my unseen Walking Partner:  Nobody really knew ME...nobody really cared for ME...nobody really got Who I AM! (Nobody except His heavenly Father, that is).

It was then that I realized that I hadn't been walking and moaning alone...

So the rest of the way, I walked hand-in-hand with the LONELY ONE.

What about you, my dear brother and sister in Christ?

Do you realize that you have a Life Walking Partner Who is your Almighty Loving Lord Christ? You are never alone, and you are always understood and cherished.  No matter what you're going through, walk through it hand-in-hand with HIM.

There's a song Wayne Watson put out a while ago, Walk in the Dark. (I've printed out the lyrics below.)  At first, I didn't understand it, because I naively thought Christians always walked in the "light."  After all, Jesus is the Light of the World, isn't He?   But after I went through some dark crises, then I got it!

If you are walking through darkness right now, may this be your heart cry...it's better to walk in the dark with JESUS, than to walk in the light on your own...Amen!

WALK IN THE DARK

where are you taking me-why are we turning here this road is strange to me-this path is not so clear must be the place where my doubt turns to faith where I close my eyes and take your hand

CHORUS: I'd rather walk in the dark with Jesus Than walk in the light on my own I'd rather go through the valley of the shadow with him Than to dance on the mountains alone I'd rather follow wherever he leads me Than to go where none before me have gone I'd rather walk in the dark with Jesus Than to walk in the light of my own

I've made some plans you know-mapped out a strategy Somebody tell me where did the seasons go-have you forgotten me I've heard the darkest hour is just before dawn And wherever you are the sun will shine

CHORUS

There will be shadows-but I won't be shaken 'Cause you've never forsaken a vow You've never failed me before this I know And, Jesus, you won't fail me now

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Bible Students: Perhaps you would like to  explore some of Jesus' other walks with His disciples.  Here are a few to get you started:

Through a grain field on the Sabbath -- Luke 6 Through Samaria, encountering the Samaritan woman -- John 4 On the water with Peter -- Matthew 14:22-33 Through Jericho on the way to Jerusalem before the Triumphal entry -- Luke 18:31-19:40 Through a vineyard on the way to Gethsemane -- John 15 On the road to Emmaus after the Resurrection -- Luke 24:13-35

Don't know Him? Or maybe you're just not sure?  Click here and read of one woman's spiritual journey.  Prayerfully reflect on the Scriptures.  May you come to put your faith in the One who loves you and died for you

Regret...or Re-NEW?

Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past.Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19

Everyone has regrets...it's part of the human condition!

We regret our offenses:

hurts we have caused

sins we've committed

walls we've built up toward others

We regret our missed opportunities:

to take advantage of new, though frightening, possibilities

to choose love in difficult relationships

to die to our own selfishness in order to serve

And the lists go on...and the regrets can eat you alive

...maybe because we can't believe we were so selfish or foolish!

...maybe because we can't undo them!

...maybe because those opportunities are gone forever!

But whatever the regret or the reason, if we are to begin afresh in the NEW YEAR, we need to put the past to rest...to rest, that is, in the hands of our Sovereign Father God.

Oswald Chambers says it well, speaking of the regret Christ's disciples must have felt when they didn't watch and pray with the Lord...

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples went to sleep when they should have stayed awake, and once they realized what they had done it produced despair [...regret?].

The sense of having done something irreversible tends to make us despair. We say, "Well, it’s all over and ruined now; what’s the point in trying anymore." If we think this kind of despair is an exception, we are mistaken. It is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize we have not taken advantage of a magnificent opportunity, we are apt to sink into despair.

But Jesus comes and lovingly says to us, in essence, "Sleep on now. That opportunity is lost forever and you can’t change that. But get up, and let’s go on to the next thing."

In other words, let the past sleep, but let it sleep in the sweet embrace of Christ, and let us go on into the invincible future with Him.

There will be experiences like this in each of our lives. We will have times of despair caused by real events in our lives, and we will be unable to lift ourselves out of them.

The disciples, in this instance, had done a downright unthinkable thing— they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus. But our Lord came to them taking the spiritual initiative against their despair and said, in effect, “Get up, and do the next thing.”

If we are inspired by God, what is the next thing? It is to trust Him absolutely and to pray on the basis of His redemption. Never let the sense of past failure defeat your next step.

Jesus is in the redeeming and renewing business.  He has promises that are sure:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.    1 John 1:7-9

So we can flip the page of the calendar to this new year...trusting that our Sovereign God is weaving everything in our lives-- past, present, and future--including our faults, failures, and yes, even our sin (because of His grace) into the beautiful tapestry of His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3-14: Romans 8:28-39).

My life is like a weaving Between my Lord and me I do not chose the colors He worketh patiently Sometimes He weaveth sorrow And I in foolish pride Forgets He sees the upper And I the underside

Not till the loom is silent And the shuttles cease to fly Shall God unroll the canvas And explain the reasons why The dark threads are as needful In the Weaver's skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver In the pattern He has planned

(author unknown)

Remembering Jesus’ BIRTH-day

Taste and see that the Lord is good; how happy is the one who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8 I had good intentions.  The recipe looked easy enough, yet festive:  Chocolate Orange Cake.  I figured last year “the boys” were old enough to  enjoy a birthday for Jesus.  And who doesn’t like chocolate?  Even though I had been  tempted by the beautiful little chocolate cake at Trader Joe’s, I decided to take the plunge myself.  I pulled out the spring form pan (which I had worked with before) and went at it.

I wasn’t prepared for the result!  Even though my toothpick came out clean, something happened to part of the middle as it cooled on the rack!  If the whole middle had sunk a little, it wouldn’t have been that bad.  But there it was, a desperately mis-shapen birthday cake for Jesus.  My efforts at patching it up just ended in making it worse:  glaze sliding off one side, crumbs in the glaze…nothing I tried helped.

Discouraged, pressured, and ready to pitch the thing and go spend $7.99 for that cute little TJ cake, I remembered… JESUS!  I realized that He probably NEVER had a perfect birthday cake (if they even did that in those days).  Even His actual birth-day was far from perfect…no hospital, no doctor, no nursery with a clean crib and changing table, no doting relatives, no baby showers, no “home sweet home”, not even a room in a hotel…but rather a barn filled with animals, far from loved-ones, with two teen-aged parents, and unclean out-casts with their sheep for visitors!  (Of course, God couldn’t resist throwing in a few angels and a star!  But they were only “visible” to the few believing hearts).

Something began to change in my attitude toward my cake.  Now it was a picture, a “metaphor”, for my Lovely Lord who wasn’t one of the beautiful people (kinda like my cake):

“He has no beauty or majesty that we should look upon Him nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.” (Is 53:2)

My cake began to speak to me of this Glorious One who came to earth and put up with a broken, imperfect life for my sake: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt (pitched His tent) among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus…who although He existed in the form of God, …emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil 2:5-8)

So I swallowed my pride and put a little crystal nativity on top.  When it was time for dessert, I read the verses from Isaiah, and we sang “Happy Birthday” to Jesus.  The funny thing is that it was actually “delicious”…kinda like Jesus, huh?

Taste and see that the Lord is good; how happy is the one who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8

Love's Abiding Harvest

As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. John 15:9

When I returned home from California a couple weeks ago, I began meditating on John 15 from the "harvest" point of view.  Though my daytime thoughts were going in a different direction, my waking thought became a word from the Lord:  Abide in My love.

I visualized the Lord on His way to Gethsemane with his disciples.  He had just showed His love for them by washing their feet at supper and sharing His last loving instructions and encouragements before He went to the Cross.

Then Jesus and His beloved followers walked together through a vineyard:  I am the vine...you are the branches....whoever abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing...Just as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you, abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. John 15:5, 9-10

I couldn't get away from it...abide in My love! Then I realized, it's all about love.  It always is!

Deep in every human heart is the desire to love and be loved.  And it is also deep in the heart of God....because GOD IS LOVE!

So a harvest of fruitfulness is all about abiding in HIS LOVE!WHOSE LOVE?

The Father's love for the Son.

As the Father has loved me... John 15:9a

For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. John 5:20a

The Son's love for the Father.

I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. John 14:31

I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. John 15:10

The Son's love for us.

...so have I loved you. Abide in my love. John 15:9b

...when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. John 13:1

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

WHAT KIND OF LOVE?

The kind of love Jesus is talking about is agape...God's love, unconditional andsacrificial.  It's the kind that esteems another more highly than himself.  It's a love that can express a oneness of will and purpose, because it's not primarily "touchy-feely" but rather a choice of the will.  And it's hard to find on this earth.

It's the love that moved the Father to send the Son to the Cross on our behalf.  It's the love that motivated Jesus to always do as His Father commanded.  It's the love that moved the heart of the Son to sacrifice Himself for us.

And it's this very love in which we are to abide!

HOW DO WE ABIDE IN HIS LOVE?

Jesus gives us the answer:

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. John 15:10

So Jesus calls us to the same obedient life He lived...not by trying hard to live it, but by living with His obedient life.  Let me explain...

Because of the abiding life union of branch in the Vine, the obedient life of the Son of God courses through our spiritual veins.  Will we live from that from that Obedient Life?  That's always the question, isn't it?

WHAT ARE HIS COMMANDS?

They are those written in chapter and verse in the Scriptures...and on our hearts.

They are also the little Holy Spirit nudges that tell us to say a kind word or refrain from saying an unkind word....to pick up the phone and check on a friend...to stop and help someone in need instead of going our merry way.  Because in the context of John 13-17, the new command of the Lord is to love one another as He has loved us.

Or it may mean to stay away from a certain relationship or terminate one because it is ungodly and destructive.

His word may also come saying, "Put aside your own agenda and spend some time with Me, feeding on my Word and abiding in My love."

WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?

• I can experience friendship with God. Jesus said that He has called us friends. But friendships can't be just one-sided. That's true in human relationships, and it's true in friendship with the Lord. Jesus tells us that when we obey Him, we are His friends.You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15:14

• I can use His name with confidence in prayer to the Father. I can be a "name dropper" in the throne room of heaven :)If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you....whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.John 15:7,16

• I can be in on family secrets. This is the same perk the Son has in relationship with the Father!No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing;but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

• I can bear fruit that remains. What I do and who I am can have eternal results because of my life union with Christ, abiding in His love.By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples...I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide... John 15:8,16

• I can experience exuberant joy :)These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Abide in His love, O beloved branch!

Because it's all about love...it always is!

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1John 5:3

We love because He first loved us! 1John 4:19

Kaden the student

A project for Bible students:  Go through the epistle of 1 John and notice how the Elder Apostle John, years after writing his gospel, uses the same words and concepts...but with more depth.  Look for love, abide, keep His commandments...any others?

Embracing My TODAY

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it! Psalm 118:24

Esther at her wedding, 80 years old

A few days after posting my last entry, I received an email from a dear friend and former college roommate DeeDee.  She sent this email to family and friends to memorialize her mom who had just passed away at the age of 105.  I remember DeeDee's mom Esther as a "spunky lady" who "embraced  life."  The email reflected just that and was entitled "Esther's motto."

Today Outside my window, a new day I see, And only I can determine what kind of day it will be, It can be busy and sunny, Laughing and gay, Or boring and cold, unhappy And grey, My own state of mind is the determining key, For I am only the person I let myself be,

I can be thoughtful and do all I can to help, Or be selfish and think just of myself, I can enjoy what I do and make it seem fun, Or gripe and complain and make It hard on someone, I can be patient with those

Who may not understand, Or belittle and hurt them as Much as I can, But I have faith in myself, And believe what I say And I personally intend to Make the best of each day.

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Now I don't think DeeDee or Esther would say that having a positive attitude is the answer to our every problem.  But knowing them, I do think they would say, "Embrace your today!  Hug it to your breast, and live it with courage, tenacity, and unselfishness."

I've been thinking about this very thing as my husband John has been going through cardiac rehab.   John's heart attack in July was in the artery that doctor's call "the widow maker."  So I am well aware that I could have become a widow that very day, as many of our college friends and other peers had already become.  And John could have said good-bye to this earth and joined those loved ones now with the Lord.

So here are some of my reflections on TODAY:

1.  TODAY is a gift.  It's all I have...and it has been given to me by my Creator.

This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

2.  TODAY will never be again. It is totally unique with unique challenges and opportunities.  Yesterday is gone...tomorrow is in the mind of God.

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." James 4:13-14 [See also Psalm 90:3-6; Luke 12:22-32]

3.  TODAY is filled with opportunities.

*The opportunity to "love on" those around me -- my husband, my children, my grandsons, my neighbors, my friends, my co-workers, my students, and others who may cross my path today.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13 NIV

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ...Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Gal 6:2,10 NIV

On facebook, my daughter Beth just posted a cute little story about my 5 year old grandson Kaden.

Kaden said to Beth the other day, "Did you know we each have an invisible bucket of happiness, and when we are mean, it is like dumping somebody's bucket?" Beth then wrote that Kaden also said hi to the neighbor and told his mom that he was filling up her bucket.

Apparently this was from a kindergarten lesson based on the book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today by Carol McCloud.  Wow, maybe I need to go back to kindergarten...or at least read the book!

*The opportunity to do my work with all the skill that God has put in me.  There is great satisfaction in doing my work well, whether it's at home or at my job.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. Eccl 9:10a NIV

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1Peter 4:10-11 NIV

*The opportunity to walk with GOD, the Eternal I AM in a deeper way, hearing His voice and following Him.  And this, of course, is most important of all!

For he says, "In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2Cor 6:2

So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness..." Hebrews 3:7-8

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Over the years, one of my favorite studies to teach from the Scriptures has been the Old Testament Names of God.  In that study, one of the most exciting insights is that God's memorial name Jehovah, meaning I AM, expresses a God Who is eternally Present, totally above and beyond our chronological time, yet totally present in it with us and for us.  In the course of teaching that study, the Holy Spirit moved upon my heart to write a meditation in the first person.  I pray that this brief meditation will fill you with courage and excitement to embrace your today also:

All that I AM, I AM for you!  I am everything and anything that you will ever need:

I AM ELOHIM, your Creator.  I made you exactly the way you are.  You can be the unique person I created you to be.  You don’t have to fit into someone else’s mold or picture of what you should be.

I AM EL ELYON, your God most High, the Sovereign Ruler of the universe.  I am in control over all your circumstances.  I am weaving all your hurts and failures into my sovereign plan for My glory, bringing good out of them for yourself and others, as you trust Me.

I AM EL ROI, your God Who Sees and cares about every trial and heartache and injustice.  Others may judge you and use you and write you off, but I don’t.  I care and open My arms wide to receive you and bless you.

I AM ADONAI, your loving Lord and Master.  Present your body to me.  I will lead you in my good, pleasing, and perfect will (Romans 12: 12-2).  You can trust Me to be all that you need and to use you in My kingdom.

I AM EL SHADDAI, your All-Sufficient God.  “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it” (Psalm 81: 10.)  I am the Source of all you will ever need.  I am your strength and the fulfiller of all My promises to you, my child.

I AM JEHOVAH-JIREH, your LORD Who Provides.  I provided a Substitute, My Son the Lamb, for you, so that you could be saved and enter into relationship with Me your God and Father.  I have wiped away all your guilt and shame.

I AM JEHOVAH, your “I AM”, your Self-Existent LORD.  I am your life always and forever.

I AM JEHOVAH-RAPHA, the LORD your Healer.  I am the source of all your healing;  physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual.

I AM JEHOVAH-NISSI, the LORD your Banner.  I give you victory over all your enemies:  the world, the flesh, and the devil.  They are conquered foes as you rest in Me.

I AM JEHOVAH-MEKODDISHKEM, the LORD Who Sanctifies You.  You can rest from your self-effort.  Why do you try to do for yourself by your own religious good works what only I can do—make you holy?  Throw off that “yoke of bondage” (Galatians).  I came to set you free!  “And if the Son shall make your free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8).  Rest in Me and I will sanctify you.  I will do it!

I AM JEHOVAH-SHALOM, the LORD Who Himself is your Peace.  Because of My presence within you, I can provide the peace that passes understanding no matter what the circumstances.  Trust and rest in Me.

I AM JEHOVAH-SABBAOTH, your LORD of Hosts.  Greater am I Who is in you than my enemy who is in the world.  Victory is secure—I have all the forces of heaven and earth at My command.  Come to Me when you are at the end of your rope.  You are more than a conqueror in Me and My Love.

I AM JEHOVAH-RAAH, the LORD your Shepherd, Who seeks after, nurtures, protects, leads, and speaks to you your whole life.  You are perfectly cared for and secure in My loving arms (john 10: 27-29).

I AM JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU, the LORD your Righteousness. You are fully righteous and acceptable to Me because you are in My Son.  He actually became sin when He died on the Cross, so that you could become His righteousness.  Glory in that, dear child!

I AM JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH, your LORD Who is There.  I have said (and I won’t change My mind), I will never leave you, nor will I ever, ever forsake you. So you can confidently say in every situation, The Lord is my Helper.  I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me? (Hebrews 13: 5b-6)  You are My home (John 15), My sanctuary (1Cor 6: 19-20; Col 1: 27).

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12