Since my mom moved to the beach in New Jersey many years ago, I've been able to spend the early morning hours on the beach.
Now I am basically an intuitive, rather than sensory person (a la Myers-Briggs). But I've found over the years that my senses come alive at the beach.
Read MoreIf I want to keep my relationship with Jesus strong I need to keep the lines of communication open. We speak to God through prayer and He speaks to us through His Word and through the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes it can seem like a chore, however, so I’m always looking for ways to keep the Bible “living and active”.
I discovered a fun Bible last year. It’s called The ESV Journaling Bible. It has room on the sides to write notes or to draw or paint. I’ve always enjoyed drawing and painting as a hobby so what better way to elevate God’s Word!
Read MoreIn my last post, we reflected on living our life in full color rather than in muted and dulled shades. I also shared an amazing song discovered as a delightful "God-wink," God's Coloring Book.
So in keeping with the theme of color and our spiritual walk with the Lord, I would like to share some possible ways to use color to help nurture our souls.
Read MoreGod lives a colorful life . . . or maybe better said, God lives His life in color!
All we need do is look around. Color is everywhere . . . in nature, in people, even in feelings, ideas, and circumstances.
But as Christians, who embrace a color-loving God who gives us fullness of life through the indwelling Spirit, we most often live inwardly in colors muted and shaded and not alive.
Why is that, I wonder?
Read MoreIt made me think of how I was feeling last summer after I returned from a month in Delaware with my daughter and family. The last place I wanted to be was in back Ohio! But God brought me up short. Here is the blog I wrote shortly thereafter. Maybe you need the reminder periodically, as do I. First posted September 14, 2015.
Read MoreWhy is it easier to weep with others in their suffering than rejoice with them in their success? Jealousy? Insecurity? Self-importance? Disappointment with my own life? Scarcity mentality (that there's not enough "good stuff" out there for me too)? Have you found that it's much easier to find others to weep with you in your distress than rejoice with you in your success...even among your friends and loved ones?
Read MoreIt's true! Jealousy (a. k.a. competition, comparison, etc) destroys relationships . . . or at the very least, it hinders and affects them negatively. And it's true from both directions.
And jealousy creeps in insidiously.
Read MoreToday the "Unfolding Fullness" of God in my life just got hard . . . not hard like cancer or broken marriage or wayward children- type hard. It was the stress of my plans being rearranged- kind of hard. Now I love spontaneity when it's MY spontaneity (a.k.a. my own change of plans). So today didn't start out well . . . until my husband John reminded me, "It's His Unfolding Fullness."
Read MoreAt the beginning of this calendar year something interesting happened . . . the Lord gave me "a word" for my year. Have you heard of having a word for your year? I had a few years ago, but I never really had one . . . until 2016. The word He gave me was "unfolding." But it didn't stop there. I sensed the Lord adding to it . . . "fullness." So it became "Unfolding Fullness."
Read MoreThose extraordinary little events in your life happen for a reason. A coincidence-sometimes a silly little thing-changes the course of your day . . .or even your life. Is it chance, or is God communicating with you? --SQuire Rushnell
Read MoreThere are lots of emptyings in life. There are deaths and losses of every kind. There are ends of relationships...ends of jobs...ends of school-years...ends of eras...ends of phases of life. Some of these are expected. Some catch us by surprise! This Mother's Day, I think of an emptying that affects all mothers sooner or later...the emptying of the nest!
Read MoreWelcome to the newly refreshed, renewed, and reconstructed "A Branch in the Vine."
My thanks to my designer, tech specialist, and did I mention, my amazing son, Jeremy J Loyd. Well done, my precious one! You have kept me current, although more and more my inner self fights change.
So, dear friends, pray for me as I learn the inner and outer workings of this site.
Thank you for following "this branch" as I rest and abide in our Life-filled Vine. Let's continue to journey together as conduits of His pulsating Life as He produces fruit, more fruit, much fruit through us to the glory of our Father, the Vinedresser. Amen.
I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from Me, you can do nothing.
Christ is risen...He is risen indeed! He's alive and so are we! And so we celebrate the LIFE that Jesus rose to, and we rose with Him...glorious mystery! In keeping with the New Life that is portrayed by so many new and blooming things, "A Branch in the Vine" is also preparing to bloom into new life. We are getting a "facelift" thanks to my dear, generous, designer son Jeremy J. Loyd of Sparkbox and the creator of my blog.
To make things easier on him and to give this "branch" time to learn new things, we are taking a break from posting for a short time.
So just in case you, my dear fellow branches, would like some devotional material for your days, I have a couple suggestions:
First, I would like to suggest my "spiritual fathers" series. Here are the links that will take you to stories and quotes from some giants of the faith who have been very important in my life. You too may find encouragement there for your souls.
bread-for-my-souls-journey/ J. Henri Nouwen
abide-in-christ-in-faith-filled-surrender/ Andrew Murray
a-modern-day-prophet/ A.W. Tozer
abbas-child/ Brennan Manning
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Next, at the risk of appearing self-serving, I want to invite you to read my book, The With-ness of our God: Relationship in Every Dimension,...not because I wrote it but because it reveals a God who is intimately and securely united with us in every possible way.
If you are struggling to feel connected to the Lord, though you may know in your head you belong to Him, please consider this little volume. In it you will receive manna for your heart, not just your head. You will find not only simple, practical instruction, but also meditation, stories for application, questions for journaling and just pondering...and more.
Or maybe you aren't struggling but just want to go deeper...this is for you too. You can dive into the deep or stay on the surface...your choice.
Springtime also brings occasions for gifts, such as Mothers' and Fathers' Day, weddings, birthdays.
And the book is very accessible and affordable. You can purchase on online (see links). Locally, volumes can be purchased for a reasonable price at The Booksellers at Austen Landing and at BellHOP Cafe in Bellbrook. And I've priced the ebook at the lowest allowed, $3.99.
So please take a look and consider walking with us on this journey into The With-ness of our God: Relationship in Every Dimension.
And thank you for your grace!
Publisher website: www.janloyd.com
And a link to my blog page that has lots of goodies in addition to endorsements, pdf files, etc concerning the book.
vine with many branches
It was almost 30 years ago now that I "discovered," as if for the first time, that I am a branch...a beloved one at that, but just a branch...in the Vine, the Father's true Vine, that is. And I love being a branch, because a branch doesn't have to be smart or strong. All a branch has to do is what Jesus told His disciples just hours before His death on our behalf. And what is that something? Let's take a look as Jesus tenderly prepared His beloved disciples for the days ahead by following His walk through a vineyard on the way to Gethsemane.
Jesus to His disciples:
I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. ... Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. A branch cannot bear fruit if it is disconnected from the vine, and neither will you if you are not connected to Me.
I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great fruit. Without Me, you will accomplish nothing. ... If you abide in Me and My voice abides in you, anything you ask will come to pass for you. Your abundant growth and your faithfulness as My followers will bring glory to the Father.
I have loved you as the Father has loved Me. Abide in My love. Follow My example in obeying the Father’s commandments and receiving His love. If you obey My commandments, you will stay in My love. I want you to know the delight I experience, to find ultimate satisfaction, which is why I am telling you all of this. John 15:1-17 VOICE
Abide...Jesus seems to love that word. Abide to bear fruit, abide to live in His love, abide to do anything.
What does it mean to abide?
My spiritual father Andrew Murray starts us off with reflections on abiding (click on his name for more about abiding):
On my part abiding is nothing but the acceptance of my position, the consent to be kept there, the surrender of faith to the strong Vine still to hold the feeble branch.
Found in my file from years gone by is this quote from Discipleship Journal, titled "Life as a Branch":
Perhaps one of the most profound things I am learning about abiding is that it never takes you out of the moment you are in ... Abiding is not primarily about cloister and quiet. The invitation to abide is the invitation to draw spiritual sustenance directly from its Supernatural Source amid the dailiness of life! ... If we abide, fruit happens! We do our part, but there is a life that flows up through the roots and branches that is beyond our ability to understand or produce! Abiding is and always will be a moment by moment thing!
A young friend of my children, Tess Augustine, wrote recently on facebook about contentment, an aspect of abiding:
One of the most important lessons I've learned is the JOY of being content. That's not the same as settling or giving up. That's not forfeiting dreams or "goals" because of your current circumstances. It's about being QUIET in the waiting. It's about learning to cheer others on, as they are blessed and able to do more, and help more. It's about being okay when someone's impact, abilities, talents and purpose instead of trying to do it all and be it all. It's not possible to do EVERYTHING well. It's about being joyful and loving to people and being okay when they may not return the feelings It's about humility. It's about being thankful THIS VERY SECOND and not losing your mind over what everyone else is doing, saying, or gaining. Being content is a much deeper and better feeling than any material gains or accolades one could possibly acquire in this life. Take a deep breath; be thankful for what you have now and what you've had in the past. Be hopeful for the future, but not consumed with desire and comparison. And, for the love, just. be. you.
And last, the way I say it:
Don't fight your TODAY life! Embrace it, hug it to your breast, live it (from your union with your Lord, of course), and be thankful.
Are you abiding today, dear friend? Have you discovered the freeing realization that you are just a branch? A beloved one, but just a branch, a conduit for the Life of the Vine ... and that's all you ever have to be!
And our Lord's promise is that you WILL produce much fruit! Praise His holy Name!
fruitful vine
Thirst is a primal need in all of us humans...more demanding even than hunger! We can go quite awhile without eating, but a very short time without drinking. Jesus on the Cross had refrained up to this point from satisfying His thirst. Instead He drank the Father's cup to the very last drop! He became sin for us...the Sinless One! Jesus took our place, and the Father turned His back. The punishment for sin had been accomplished...spiritual separation from God....for US!
Read Moreeulogy noun, plural eulogies.
1. a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially a set oration in honor of a deceased person.
2. high praise or commendation.
In our week's Lenten meditation, we focus on the Lord's care for His dear mom as His own death approaches. How tender, how like a beloved son of a beloved mom! Caring for our treasured loved ones is at the heart of "family" in the purest sense of the word.
However, we often forget that true caring can be much deeper and more needed than merely physical care, as critical as that is. There's a caring that touches heart and soul...one that meeting physical needs approaches, but a caring that perhaps only loving words can reach.
We busily go through our lives, often thinking many kind thoughts and feeling loving, appreciative sentiments for our loved ones, but not stopping to put words and voice to them...nourishing the soul of ones we love.
Rather what do we traditionally do? We wait until the person has passed away to express those words, words that deep down she may have been longing to hear. We give those golden words to others in the form of a eulogy, either formally or informally delivered, at a funeral or memorial service.
I've been thinking a lot about death these days, especially since my dear mom has gone to her reward with Jesus in heaven just last November. About eight years ago, several of my siblings had the wonderful brain-child to celebrate my mom's 85th birthday with a big party/reunion. This was a huge deal with music, singing, readings and fun!
As part of that, many of us wrote, in a sense, our eulogies to her, and my son Jeremy compiled them in a book with photos. And as wonderful as the entire occasion was, the most important thing was that little volume of golden words.
I'm not sure my mom was able to take it all that day. But I do know something was received...she was honored with words of love, affection, and affirmation. And she looked through that book while she was in the Manor House Senior Center, and who knows but many memories kicked in when she viewed not just words but also photos of loved ones.
So dear friends, don't wait too long! Don't even wait till 85...life is a vapor!
I really believe that a big part of our grief over the loss of a loved one is really regret (which can eat us alive!). Seize the opportunity to just simply say the beautiful, wonderful things you think and feel, even right then and there in the moment. You don't need a big bash to do it! Don't assume the person knows how you feel!We are all insecure enough to NOT KNOW!
You will be glad you did...but most of all, your loved one will be "cared for" in the depths of her soul!
For His honor and glory! Amen!
To see my "eulogy" for my mom's 85, click here.
Take a look at the one another verses.
I wrote this a year ago, while my mom was still alive...now she is in glory, experiencing what she had anticipated all her life! Paradise, Heaven, the Pearly Gates, our Eternal Rest...mystery beyond measure!
The Bible gives us glimpses of this place of rest from earthly labors...streets of gold, myriads of angels, the throne of God, believing loved ones we have said "good by" to on this earth, and most of all, the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Lover of our souls!
My almost 91 year old mom is getting very close to that glorious place. I think that all her life, she has kept heaven in view. I remember as a child she would quote this verse to me:
...eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 DRA
She applied that precious verse to heaven, and she is certainly right.* We humans cannot even imagine...but we will have our spiritual senses sharpened to take it all in. Now we experience Him & His delights as in a shadow, don't we? But then face to face!
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV
I found a sweet book on Heaven in my search to find something my mom could take in with her now limited physical understanding. It's by Anne Graham Lotz. Perhaps you would like to take a look.
The older I get in the Lord, the more I realize what Jesus said is true, "Unless you become as a little child, you cannot enter [and might I add, "experience"] the kingdom of God."
As I woke up this morning, I recalled a song I have loved for years. It has a hauntingly beautiful melody, so rich in imagery. Here it is. Enjoy it in two ways. The first is the song movingly sung by a male voice; the second, at the end of a sweet medley sung by Christine Wrytzen. May you be blessed by both.
Finally Home
When engulfed by the terror of the tempestuous sea, Unknown waves before you roll; At the end of doubt and peril is eternity, Though fear and conflict seize your soul.
But just think of stepping on shore-And finding it Heaven! Of touching a hand-And finding it God's! Of breathing new air-And finding it celestial! Of waking up in glory-And finding it home!
When surrounded by the blackness of the darkest night, O how lonely death can be; At the end of this long tunnel is a shining light, For death is swallowed up in victory!
But just think of stepping on shore-And finding it Heaven! Of touching a hand-And finding it God's! Of breathing new air-And finding it celestial! Of waking up in glory-And finding it home!
[youtuber youtube='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2uZxlfFQm4']
[youtuber youtube='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX4F1eatvmY']
*In the context of 2 Corinthians 2, this verse is more broadly applied to experiencing the Lord in ever increasing measure even while here on earth. Of course in heaven, it will be full...hallelujah!
Another song shared just today by my devout cousin-in-law. Thank you, Marilyn!
[youtuber youtube='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPLO3c1LrTU']
A few years ago on Valentines Day, I ran to Kroger to pick up a few needed items. As I got out of my car in the parking lot and walked across the lot to enter the store, I saw a man leaving, carrying a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers! For some reason, it moved me to tears.
Here was a middle-aged, short, stocky guy...not handsome at all....not romantic looking or attractive in any way. And yet, I realized he was incredibly blessed because he LOVES someone.
Maybe she's a wife, a sweetheart, a daughter, a mother...but he has SOMEONE to love.
And maybe she loves HIM in return!
Love is a gift...both sides of love -- loving and being loved.
If you love someone today...let him/her know! If you are loved by someone today...be thankful!
Above all, dear friend, know that you are loved by your God...be thankful and let HIM know!
We love because He first loved us! 1 John 4:19
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
I love this poem. I discovered in the form of a picture book when my kids were young. Now I use it printed out with several Hershey Hugs and a real hug! Give it a try!
Hugs by Ron Stopkoski
It's wondrous what a hug can do. A hug can cheer you when you're blue A hug can say, "I love you so," Or, "Gee, I hate to see you go."
A hug is, "Welcome back again," And, "Great to see you! Where have you been?" A hug can soothe a small child's pain And bring a rainbow after rain.
The hug! There's just no doubt about it! We scarcely could survive with out it! A hug delights and warms and charms. It must be why God gave us arms.
Hugs are great for fathers and mothers, Sweet for sisters, swell for brothers. And chances are your favorite aunts Love them more than potted plants.
Kittens crave them. Puppies love them. Heads of state are not above them. A hug can break the language barrier And make your travels so much merrier.
No need to fret about your store of 'em; The more you give the more there's more of 'em. So stretch those arms without delay And GIVE SOMEONE A HUG TODAY!!!!
I am so honored to introduce you to my latest Guest Branch, my darling daughter, Elizabeth ... better known to all of us as Beth. Beth and Nate, her husband of ten-plus years, started out as good friends in high school. Years later, at just the right time, their real-life friendship blossomed into something more.
So in this post from her own blog, Beth describes a real-life romance, celebrating Valentines Day in a real-life way.
A profoundly real truth for us all!
My Sticky Valentine
Valentine’s Day has always been a sticky holiday for my husband and I. My decorating style may be romantic at times, but our style as a couple just doesn't jive with all the over the top drama associated with the holiday. My date night of choice for example would be to go play a rousing game of billiards and flirt competitively with my husband over drinks rather than exchange sonnets professing our love. There is just something that doesn't ring true in my heart if it has to be cloaked in too much pomp and circumstance.
We usually just play it safe though and go the humorous route, oh yeah, and chocolate...lots and lots of chocolate. Honestly I would be hard pressed to find an occasion in life where Godiva would not be appropriate.
But last year I couldn't opt-out with humor. Just a couple of months prior we had taken a large financial hit with our rental home, having to replace the entire AC unit as well as completing some other major repairs. While we were trying to regain our footing, we found out that we were expecting. Being the efficient military couple, forced to travel light, we had gotten rid of all the paraphernalia required for a child under the age of 4.
It wasn't earth shattering and truly the latter one was a blessing but by Valentines day we were left feeling stressed and emotionally tired.
I set out to compose a valentine that was financially cheap, emotionally extravagant and honestly whimsical.
After composing the message, I printed it out on card stock folding it at the top twice, leaving 1/2in allowance between the folds, to fit a box of my husband's favorite chewing gum on the inside.
Then I left it on the seat of his car.
It's not perfect. In fact I can't help thinking how my graphic designer brother might react to my type choice and spacing. I guess its only fitting. My husband and I are not perfect either but in our imperfection, perfect for each other and isn't that what Valentines day is all about?
Visit Beth at her blog Rental Pretty
I'm not afraid to experiment with unconventional materials, snatch up and repurpose rejected items waiting for the landfill,and occasionally fail in the process.
It's all in the effort to transform this bland rental space from rental ready to RentalPretty.
I grew up in a liturgical church. So from my childhood into my early adulthood, I observed the church calendar. Ash Wednesday marked a real turning point in the calendar year. It was a turn from comfort, frivolity, and enjoyment (think Mardi Gras) to a time of repentance, self-denial, and mortification called Lent. Ash Wednesday was a day when we all remembered that someday we would each die and face our Maker. The priest would put the sign of the cross on our foreheads in black ashes and say,
Remember, Man, that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return. [based on Genesis 3:19]
A very sobering reminder...and I took it all very seriously.
Even though I'm not a part of a liturgical congregation now, I think it's a good thing to remember that death is up ahead for each of us.
But why death? The Bible says,
The wages of sin is death... Romans 6:23a
But the good news is
...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23b
Pastor and Bible teacher, Chuck Swindoll, takes the symbolism of the ashen cross a step further. He says,
The mark is a sign of Christ's ownership of the person and a symbol of sorrow for sins...We are His possessions and a true appreciation for the cost of our salvation begins with an understanding of the seriousness of sin.
So while Ash Wednesday reminds us of our sin and our mortality, we can look ahead to Good Friday and Easter Sunday because we are His possession. We know the end of the story, and (as someone has said) "We win"...because HE won!
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 1Peter 2:24
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15
“Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ...thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 15:54-57
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For more about Lent and Ash Wednesday, visit the Voice blog.
Coming soon:
Lenten meditations: Jesus' Last Words from the Cross
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Janet Renner Loyd has been a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ most of her life. Her formal education includes a degree in education from the University of Arizona and also a degree in Bible & Theology from Moody Bible Institute. For more than thirty years, she has been involved in teaching and leading women’s Bible studies, retreats, and meetings…most notably Precept upon Precept and various studies that she has personally developed. Professionally, Jan recently retired from teaching language and writing to GED and adult ESOL students.
About her life, Jan says, “The most important thing about me is my relationship with my Father God through my Lord Jesus Christ. I am forever grateful to Him for His love, mercy, and grace to me and my family and friends...and the world.”
Jan has been happily married to John Loyd for more than forty years. They have two adult, married children and five lively young grandsons.
