Month: August 2015

I have lost many earthly identities this year.

Wife

My youngest child finished high school.

Mom of a school aged child, gone.

This made me pause and wonder where the time went.

My kids grew up so fast, gone into adulthood.

My husband’s cancer took him into eternity, way too soon.

Time is a commodity.

Psalm 103: 15 -17, Reminds us of the shortness of life.

  “As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. But the loving kindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children…”

 God’s time is eternal. We may have a limited amount on earth, but we are gaining time in our eternal home.

Looking at my earthly life through the lenses of eternity, most of life is trivial. My earthly identities might have changed this year. My Godly identity hasn’t nor will God’s love for me ever change.

I have wrapped my identity into my job, kids, husband, church, into my works. Works are important for advancing the kingdom but with works sometimes comes pride.

No matter what title I may carry, my identity is the same.

I need to be reminded God loves every person.

People either have an identity in Christ or they are lost.

How do I love someone today? What am I doing to help someone gain more time in heaven? Am I content with just focusing on earthly time and busyness, missing kingdom opportunities?

Do I love the lost?

As Christians we are called to love. We are called to be lights in the darkness.  What if we use our job as a mission field by being different, demonstrating the fruits of the spirit, if we raise our children with Christ’s love, demonstrating the walk, if we love our partners, the way Christ loved us, if we tip extra, practice patience in lines, smile, have a joyful spirit…

 Our actions in love speak volumes to non believers.

Time is such a commodity and the choice is ours in how we use it.

Prayer for today:

Thank you Lord for the gift of time. Keep me focused on your love showing others the love you have for us. Please don’t let me get bogged down with daily demands. I  don’t want to be too busy to realize who you are and what my time should be used for. In Jesus name, Amen.

Isn’t  new love fun?

New love has the thrill of learning about someone. Thoughts tend to be upbeat and joyful.

Then the newness fades infatuation turns into infuriation.

The enduring quirks fade into annoying habits.

The mind goes from always wanting to know more about a loved one to I can’t deal with another day.

The mind replays the annoyance.

 Love is sometimes hard.

I am so glad Jesus’ infatuation with me has never changed. The newness has never worn off. My annoying habits are dealt with kindness and patience not conquered through argumentative battles.

1 Corinthians 13:4 is often read at wedding:

” Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act improperly, is not             selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. “

While all of the above are so important in a healthy relationship, I know for me it starts in my mind.

Love is a choice.

God commanded us to dwell on excellence.

Philippians 4: 8-9

“Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable–if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise–dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. “

Frustrations mount when I dwell on the negative instead of searching for excellence.

The last perfect human that walked the earth was crucified.

I want grace from others. I am not perfect. My annoying habits are just as much as a rub for others as the habits I find difficult.  Grace extends from the mind.

Love starts from a decision to extend grace,  walk humbly,  and believe with concentrated  focus on the lovely excellence of another. When we extend grace we gain peace. Negativity generates chaos. Dwelling on the positive produces optimism with peace.

Prayer for today:

Please Lord let me remember how much grace, patience, and love you have given me. Please equip me to do the same for all of your children. My partner, child, co-worker, and boss are all yours. Let me dwell in the positive attributes and not look for the negatives. I want to love like you. In Jesus name, Amen.

 I recently cleaned my kitchen.  My deceased husband was a chef and  hoarded. I have boxed two full sets of kitchen ware for my sons.  I kept a full set and some of my favorite pieces. I was surprised how much was stuffed into such a small space. I haven’t cooked in years. The trouble of having items fall out of cabinets, moving pots and pans to find the perfect pan, or buying new stuff because I couldn’t find the stuff I had. My kitchen was a crammed mess.

  The clutter made me pause.

 How much negativity is stuffed in my head right now?

 What are my thoughts?

 I know I have been concentrating on many distracting views.

Worry

Stress

Control

Pride

 My focus should be simple, Jesus.

 I love how Jesus was relaxed. He didn’t stress. He kept his life simple. He was focused on God.

Jesus sometimes went away to recharge and connect  with God.

He didn’t allow the world’s demands to get in the way of his relationship with God.

 I need simplicity.

 I need to run to my Father instead running after my own way.

I actually asked God  to give me direction for one day. He responded with requests. My day was productive. I wasn’t stressed.  My focus shifted from myself to serving my Father.

I want to grow more like Jesus. He trusted Abba.

He relaxed.

 He was joyful in doing God’s requests.

I never have heard of Jesus fretting. He trusted.

I have made life harder than it has to be.  I have in arrogance wanted control. I have worried, not trusting my Father.

I want to keep it simple.

My kitchen is easier to cook in without the clutter. I needed to  make room to be productive.  Most of the clutter was great stuff just way too much.

Stress can come from great accomplishments or from hardships. I sometimes need to get away and  recharge.

I need to clear my mind to think, worship, and respond.

God knows me. He promised to never leave me.

I don’t need the negativity or stress.

I need to focus on his promises.  I need to serve my God.  I need to press  forward.  God knows more than I can ever comprehend. Why would I be arrogant,  stressed, worried, and controlling? God made me before the earth was formed. He probably can handle any problem that I have or will have.

Jesus relaxed in a relationship with his Dad. I want the same.

My prayer for today:

Please God help me lean into you. I want to relax in your peace. Please renew my mind. I am humbled. I need you.

Thank you for your love and grace.

I have always been confused by the trinity. The Holy Spirit sounded so far removed from what my brain could handle. The three being one was a hard and is a hard concept for me  to grasp. I came to terms with the trinity in my own simple way. God is my father, Jesus is my advocate, and the Holy Spirit is my teacher all three working in and being  together as one. I try to explain this week about the Holy Spirit.  If I am convicted of a sin with a desire to change that is the Holy Spirit. If I am stuck in shame that is Satan. I know I have embraced shame and stayed where I shouldn’t have been way too long.  I love how God provides an awesome teacher in the Holy Spirit allowing repentance and change. God is Good.

John 16:13

“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.”

The Holy Spirit guides our walk with God. The Holy Spirit also abides in God. We as Christians are equipped with the Holy Spirit in us and teaching us, in our daily walk with God.

1 Corinthians 2: 10-16

 “ 10 Now God has revealed these things by the spirit, for the spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For whom among men know the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us  by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.

14 But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. 15 The spiritual person however can evaluate everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. 16 For who has the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

Wow, God gives us wisdom delivered by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, and even knows the depths of God. We don’t have the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God living in us. God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit when we accept Christ as our savior. So, if we are listening to the spirit of the world, we are listening to Satan.

 2 Corinthians 4:4 “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

We have been given a mind like Christ separated from the world. We need to learn that as Christians we are eternal insurgents living in a temporary world. We eventually get to go  back to our Heavenly home. 

This worldly home burns up in the end.

 Knowing we are here for a short time, living with eternity in mind we are less likely to place our value in the world. When we focus on the world expectations instead of living in grace, we live in shame.

Again, shame is Satan’s friend. It’s in his toolbox. Shame leaves us stuck in the past, stuck. Sometimes we  replay what someone said that we now believe as truth.  We  are stuck thinking how someone treated us was right; or even stuck knowing how they treated us wrong.

Not able to forgive.

Forgiveness isn’t given, anger becomes our comforting friend.

We are STUCK!

We choose to live in shame instead of listening to the Holy Spirit.

Why would we allow shame to take a hold of our lives?

Shame is secretive and we have all tried to cover it up, compensate for it, and push past it.

What if we renew our minds?

Bring the nasty shame out in the open?

Forgive others and maybe ourselves?

What if we  live in love for Christ allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us?

What if every Christian denounced the shame, generational lies and sins of the past, and forgave themselves and others? What if every Christian lived knowing God on a personal level?

What if every Christian loved like Christ?

The world would be different.

Satan knows this. Shame keeps us stuck. The Holy Spirit keeps us moving forward.

My prayer  today: Please Lord let me understand the Holy spirit, give me wisdom and discernment. Please let me forgive those who need forgiveness, even if that person is me. I need you God. I can’t live in the shackles of shame. Please allow me to live my life guided by your gift of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.