Lord,
Help me to keep my eyes focused on You.
Help me to keep things in an eternal perspective.
Help me to see the faithfulness You have shown in the past and look for the faithfulness You will continue to show in the future.
Help me to see my willful sin and quicken my heart to leave it.
Help me to see the snares of the enemy and the path You light to avoid them.
Help me to see You in the faces I see today.
Help me to see the good and not get focused on the not good enough.
Help me to see You Jesus.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Saturday, September 21, 2013
TESTIMONY TIME...
So, whatcha been doin'?
It has been a good bit, and there is a good reason. My computer has tapped. It has been submitted by something, and it has tapped out. Eventually it will be repaired or replaced, but for now it sits on my desk in shameful defeat.
As many of you know, HH has had a bit of an ordeal. Jesus has been so faithful to preserve his life and restore his health, and to God does all the glory go.
That's not all He has been about, though.
I have told you many times how my mind can go to the dark places of fear and worry quickly. Traumatic situations are a slippery slope for me. Lack of sleep, multiple days in the hospital, and long nights alone where I have nothing to do but think are like a perfect storm for me. Anxiety pounds against my mind and my heart with hurricane force.
I can honestly say, during all of this, the Lord steadied me. He calmed the storm before it ever began to brew. People kept asking me is I was okay, and I could answer in complete truth, that yes I was.
It has been a good bit, and there is a good reason. My computer has tapped. It has been submitted by something, and it has tapped out. Eventually it will be repaired or replaced, but for now it sits on my desk in shameful defeat.
As many of you know, HH has had a bit of an ordeal. Jesus has been so faithful to preserve his life and restore his health, and to God does all the glory go.
That's not all He has been about, though.
I have told you many times how my mind can go to the dark places of fear and worry quickly. Traumatic situations are a slippery slope for me. Lack of sleep, multiple days in the hospital, and long nights alone where I have nothing to do but think are like a perfect storm for me. Anxiety pounds against my mind and my heart with hurricane force.
Psalm 107:29 (NKJV)
He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still.
So that its waves are still.
Amen and amen.
Even when it became apparent something was wrong.
Even when they asked me to leave the room.
Even when I came back in to see my husband white as a sheet and writhing in pain.
Even when a young man was applying pressure to HH's major artery so he didn't bleed out.
Even when the words "blood transfusion" were thrown around.
Hebrews 6:19 (NKJV)
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, ...
Wave after wave, Jesus Christ held firm, and held me firm in Him. You have to understand what a work of God this is. For the last 7 to 8 years, my mind has been my war zone. It has been brutal. Only a hand full know how brutal, and even in that, they don't know all of it. You can not count how many times I have spoken the words "sound mind" in the midst of the warfare. The Lord has been gracious, and many areas have been restored, but it still has hot spots. There are still fleshy uprisings.
THIS was a decisive victory.
A sign of the power of Christ over the enemy.
A manifestation of the hope I have in Him.
A breaking of the chains and a setting free of the captive.
May this writing be a sign to you of the deliverance and redemption you can have in Him as well.
You choose.
To God be the Glory.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
CHOOSE TO ASK
Well, I made it 5 weeks without crying and talking at my Nehemiah bible study,which tells you I did very little talking these last 5 weeks. Yep..... right up until last night. Our leader, Mrs. Mary, asked what had spoken to us the most and I had to talk about the reconciliation not disgrace thing so the tears just poured. It's a good thing I have been in Gideon as well, because I spent the rest of the lesson telling myself a broken vessel shines the Light....a broken vessel shines the Light. Better that than the these people think you are psychotic and you have some sort of red skin disorder and will probably never look you in the eye again and blah blah blah......
Trust me, I can go THERE fast.
Okay, but that's not what I got on here to tell you about. FOCUS, Rhonda.
Back in February, one of my sisters and I went to dot.MOM in Dallas with our Siesta Sisters Amy & Michelle, who are sisters as well (HI GIRLS!!! LOVE Y'ALL SO MUCH!!!). During one of the breakout sessions I went to, the lady told of how she would go into her son's room every night and ask him what the best part of his day was and what the worst part of his day was, and then he would reciprocate. She did this well into his teen years, and recounted a time when she forgot he was having some guys stay over, went right on in, killed the light and asked her questions, only to freeze in fear that she had just humiliated him. However, he answered, and so did every other boy in the room ,and what could have been a very awkward moment for them all wound up being a time of ministry to one young man who's parents were getting divorced and no one knew.
None of which relates to my story, but y'all isn't God awesome to do that for us!
So I came home thinking, well, I can give it a try with the MCs and see how it goes.
I've got to tell you - IT HAS GONE PHENOMENAL!
They love it. They get mad if I ...ahem.... try to rush through it. They want to hear my best and worst part. MC 1 likes me to guess his best and worst part. MC 2 has added his "sad" part. Our nephew spent the night, and the MCs were concerned I wasn't going to "do the thang" with company. Oh no - I just hit 'em all up.
Also, usually when we pick the boys up after church I ask the age old question,
Trust me, I can go THERE fast.
Okay, but that's not what I got on here to tell you about. FOCUS, Rhonda.
Back in February, one of my sisters and I went to dot.MOM in Dallas with our Siesta Sisters Amy & Michelle, who are sisters as well (HI GIRLS!!! LOVE Y'ALL SO MUCH!!!). During one of the breakout sessions I went to, the lady told of how she would go into her son's room every night and ask him what the best part of his day was and what the worst part of his day was, and then he would reciprocate. She did this well into his teen years, and recounted a time when she forgot he was having some guys stay over, went right on in, killed the light and asked her questions, only to freeze in fear that she had just humiliated him. However, he answered, and so did every other boy in the room ,and what could have been a very awkward moment for them all wound up being a time of ministry to one young man who's parents were getting divorced and no one knew.
None of which relates to my story, but y'all isn't God awesome to do that for us!
So I came home thinking, well, I can give it a try with the MCs and see how it goes.
I've got to tell you - IT HAS GONE PHENOMENAL!
They love it. They get mad if I ...ahem.... try to rush through it. They want to hear my best and worst part. MC 1 likes me to guess his best and worst part. MC 2 has added his "sad" part. Our nephew spent the night, and the MCs were concerned I wasn't going to "do the thang" with company. Oh no - I just hit 'em all up.
Also, usually when we pick the boys up after church I ask the age old question,
"So, what did y'all talk about?"
Some Sundays it is like pulling teeth to get a better answer then "Jesus", because, clearly it's church and you should have talked about Jesus, so that's a cop-out. We keep digging until I get the full story. However, should I forget, as I did this past Sunday, I get the,
"MOM, aren't you going to ask me what we talked about?"
speech, and on really good Sundays, they even ask me what we talked about in church.
Point (yes, there was one) - kids want you to ask about them. Your kids want you to ask about them. Sure, some days they are less forthcoming, but they still want you to ask. About school. About sports. About their friends. About their days. About the good and the bad and the sad.
As the MCs get older, I am well aware that the answers may be whittled down to grunts, but on those fortunate, (I believe) God-given days when they aren't, when the man child is feeling a little chatty, I want to be sure I asked.
May we be parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors who choose to ask those babies how they are doing.
It is so worth it on the days they choose to tell us.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
DISGRACED
I am knee deep in bible study this summer. I've already told you my sisters, mama, and I are working through Gideon. I am also studying Nehemiah by Kelly Minter in a women's class this summer. I didn't choose Nehemiah at first because I have already gone through it. I actually had a different class in mind, but never felt good about it, so Nehemiah was choice #2.
But not in Christ's order.
The previous time I worked through Nehemiah I didn't watch the videos. As most of you know, the video can bring a lot to the table and last week's, video 3 I think, was no exception. The topic was the disgrace the Israelites felt and how Nehemiah planned to deal with it. Minter then points us to 2 Corinthians 5 where we are called to be ministers of reconciliation.
Sitting in my little chair in the corner, I wrote down on my paper DO NOT DISGRACE THEM and underlined it twice, which means it's serious business. Then I was thinking how often I have chosen disgrace over reconciliation for others. Example? Sure. Just remember Jesus is still perfecting me. Have I ever prayed for the truth to be revealed about a person or a situation? I mean earnestly prayed? Yes. Can I sit here and tell you it was from a heart that wanted the people involved to be reconciled to Christ every time? Nope. Ashamedly, I can recall times when my motive was to have them disgraced. Right there, in the middle of my anger, hurt, frustration, or any other emotion I could feel, I gave way to the sin nature of this mortal body. Sure, I didn't call it sin. I called it truth being revealed. I called it people needing to know. I called it perpetrators reaping what they have sown. Regardless of whatever name I tagged it with, the intent was still to have them shamed and disgraced.
Pretty, right?
I am grateful to Jesus for pointing this out, as I saw it developing in my heart as recent as last week.
Repentance has come from it. Not just the I'm sorry I did it, but the I'm sorry and please God let me turn from it. Let me choose to turn from it. Let me choose to be about reconciliation- be it by the words I say to others or the prayers I pray to God alone. Let me choose to stand guard over my own heart and mind against that prideful spirit. Let me choose not to be the one causing others to be disgraced.
The message has been an eye opener for me, as I pray this post is for you. Not because of my words, but as a result of the work the Spirit will do in you.
Perhaps you can think of a time when you have secretly wanted disgrace instead of reconciliation. Repentance, true repentance, can be ours. We are not without hope.
Maybe you are the one who was disgraced. Forgiveness through Christ is ours as well.
who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ....
May we choose to believe Him.
For in Christ Jesus, we are never disgraced.
But not in Christ's order.
The previous time I worked through Nehemiah I didn't watch the videos. As most of you know, the video can bring a lot to the table and last week's, video 3 I think, was no exception. The topic was the disgrace the Israelites felt and how Nehemiah planned to deal with it. Minter then points us to 2 Corinthians 5 where we are called to be ministers of reconciliation.
Sitting in my little chair in the corner, I wrote down on my paper DO NOT DISGRACE THEM and underlined it twice, which means it's serious business. Then I was thinking how often I have chosen disgrace over reconciliation for others. Example? Sure. Just remember Jesus is still perfecting me. Have I ever prayed for the truth to be revealed about a person or a situation? I mean earnestly prayed? Yes. Can I sit here and tell you it was from a heart that wanted the people involved to be reconciled to Christ every time? Nope. Ashamedly, I can recall times when my motive was to have them disgraced. Right there, in the middle of my anger, hurt, frustration, or any other emotion I could feel, I gave way to the sin nature of this mortal body. Sure, I didn't call it sin. I called it truth being revealed. I called it people needing to know. I called it perpetrators reaping what they have sown. Regardless of whatever name I tagged it with, the intent was still to have them shamed and disgraced.
Pretty, right?
I am grateful to Jesus for pointing this out, as I saw it developing in my heart as recent as last week.
Repentance has come from it. Not just the I'm sorry I did it, but the I'm sorry and please God let me turn from it. Let me choose to turn from it. Let me choose to be about reconciliation- be it by the words I say to others or the prayers I pray to God alone. Let me choose to stand guard over my own heart and mind against that prideful spirit. Let me choose not to be the one causing others to be disgraced.
The message has been an eye opener for me, as I pray this post is for you. Not because of my words, but as a result of the work the Spirit will do in you.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
(NKJV)Perhaps you can think of a time when you have secretly wanted disgrace instead of reconciliation. Repentance, true repentance, can be ours. We are not without hope.
Maybe you are the one who was disgraced. Forgiveness through Christ is ours as well.
who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ....
May we choose to believe Him.
For in Christ Jesus, we are never disgraced.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
NOT JUST OUT THERE...
Like some of you, I am working through Gideon by Priscilla Shirer with the Siesta Summer Bible Study. We are well into weeks 3 and 4, but a statement from week 1 has prompted a post.
"They want the benefits of a relationship with none of the responsibilities." (p. 35)
The discussion is about humanism, and worth the read if you can get your hands on a book. I found it very easy to nod my head and agree that's how people are out there. Yes, the world is living for itself. The world is all about the benefits of various relationships without the responsibilities. Promiscuity, fornication, credit card debt - you can find lots of examples in lots of areas.
But then it happened. My head nodding turned into soul searching as the Holy Spirit did His work, showing me it wasn't just out there. It is in our churches. It is in our life groups and Sunday school classes. It is in me - it's in here.
I want the benefits of being a church member without the responsibility of claiming them as my peeps, submitting to the leadership, and doing what I could to strengthen the body.
I want the benefits of a life group/Sunday School without the responsibility of caring for others and protecting what they share.
I want the benefits of being on the worship team/children's ministry/youth leader without the responsibility of doing the work and dealing with the issues.
I want the benefit of being friend's with the leadership without the responsibility of being mature in my faith and in that relationship.
I want the benefits of being on that platform without the responsibility it carries.
I won't tell you all the ones I could check just from that list. Okay, I'll confess one - the first. You know it's bad when your own study group points it out to you. These ladies are tough - good thing they are blood kin! All kidding aside, they didn't beat me up with it because they knew I knew. They did bring it up, though. I am glad they did. Godly accountability and honest chats are what we need, especially in the body of Christ.
But then it happened. My head nodding turned into soul searching as the Holy Spirit did His work, showing me it wasn't just out there. It is in our churches. It is in our life groups and Sunday school classes. It is in me - it's in here.
I want the benefits of being a church member without the responsibility of claiming them as my peeps, submitting to the leadership, and doing what I could to strengthen the body.
I want the benefits of a life group/Sunday School without the responsibility of caring for others and protecting what they share.
I want the benefits of being on the worship team/children's ministry/youth leader without the responsibility of doing the work and dealing with the issues.
I want the benefit of being friend's with the leadership without the responsibility of being mature in my faith and in that relationship.
I want the benefits of being on that platform without the responsibility it carries.
I won't tell you all the ones I could check just from that list. Okay, I'll confess one - the first. You know it's bad when your own study group points it out to you. These ladies are tough - good thing they are blood kin! All kidding aside, they didn't beat me up with it because they knew I knew. They did bring it up, though. I am glad they did. Godly accountability and honest chats are what we need, especially in the body of Christ.
The enemy would have us look in here with conceit and out there with condemnation.
Christ calls us to look in here with conviction and out there with compassion.
The grace of Christ Jesus.
The gospel of Christ Jesus.
May we choose to remember
they are needed in here;
Not just out there.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
HEART REFRESHER
For the SSMT, I have chosen to memorize the book of Philemon. I am at verse 13 by now, but recently one of the previous verses struck a cord.
7 For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother
"because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother"
I want that to be me. I don't want to be that person who just wears people out. You know what I mean? The person who you are pretty sure you are going to need a lot of Jesus just to be around. The sister who just leaves you feeling drained and zapped.
I don't want to be that gal.
I want to be the gal that leaves people wanting more of Him because they want more of Him; not less of me.
If they need encouragement - I want to encourage them in Jesus.
If they need to be challenged - I want to challenge them in Jesus.
If they need comfort - I want to comfort them in Jesus.
I am thinking that is not a bad legacy to have.
For she refreshed the hearts of the saints.
May it be said of so many of us.
7 For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother
"because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother"
I want that to be me. I don't want to be that person who just wears people out. You know what I mean? The person who you are pretty sure you are going to need a lot of Jesus just to be around. The sister who just leaves you feeling drained and zapped.
I don't want to be that gal.
I want to be the gal that leaves people wanting more of Him because they want more of Him; not less of me.
If they need encouragement - I want to encourage them in Jesus.
If they need to be challenged - I want to challenge them in Jesus.
If they need comfort - I want to comfort them in Jesus.
I am thinking that is not a bad legacy to have.
For she refreshed the hearts of the saints.
May it be said of so many of us.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
FOUR SCORE DIVIDED BY TWO
That would be 40.
Which is what I will be.
Not tomorrow, or this month even, but soon enough.
I find myself thinking about it more and more though.
Like today, sitting at the OB/GYN
(boys - totally fine if you just checked out, but the girls know)
looking at all the mamas to be and the mamas who just were,
remembering when I was in their shoes,
seeing the "old" ladies there,
and realizing that I am now the "old" lady.
Or when I read an article (a lovely one, too) about some friends' mama who is retiring, thinking I remember when she started, and realizing I have been out of high school long enough for a person to want to retire in those same years.
I am not really afraid of 40, but aware.
Aware of how far I have come.
Aware of how far I have to go.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)
But we all, with unveiled face,
beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,
just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
I am not one who thinks the best years are behind me.
I really hope not.
To me, that would be depressing.
I have had good years in high school, college, the 20's & 30's,
but I really hope I haven't peaked out.
If the Lord allows -
We have MCs to graduate.
We have MCs to graduate.
Daughter-in laws to meet.
Grandbabies to kiss.
Front porch rocking to do.
Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)
being confident of this very thing,
that He who has begun a good work in you
will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
I am going to hold God to His word.
Yeah, that is what I would like them to be.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
ROUND UP...
1. The boys played soccer this season.
2. Soccer season is over. Two weeks ago. They played for six weeks. You see exactly how many pictures I posted up here.
- It was MC 2's first adventure with competitive sports and he really enjoyed it. Which is good because they lost every game but one. He didn't care. He just liked being out there.
- MC 1 loves to play. His team fared a little better. Excluding the cleat to the eye (which his wonderfully attentive mother just took him to the doctor about this week- that is right peeps- mom of the year trophy securely on my mantle), he had a really good season. (You'll be glad to know they eye checked out fine. He had no pain and no vision problems, it just wasn't looking like it should have IMO.)
3. The boys participated in another rodeo.
4. That's over, too.
- They both rode really well and the church who sponsored it put on a great program. HH is itching for the next one. MC 1 is going to have to find a new group due to the fact he has aged out of the one we always participated in. He is looking to football I think. Shhh....HH is not a fan.
5. The boys had track & field day at their school.
6. Zero pics of that as well. I really need a camera......
- MC 2 signed up for three running events, which shocked us all, and did really well. He wasn't first but he wasn't last.
- MC 1 had one goal in mind. Win the boys 800m. AND HE DID! This has been on his mind since the last field day. When I mowed my track last year, he saw it as his chance to train. He ran, he practiced, he prepared and it payed off. He was so happy.
School is almost out for us, and the timing is perfect. HH is enjoying the longer evenings. I keep reminding him we are not out of school yet. Bedtime still exists.
Okay, well that should hold you for a few days. Hopefully, this summer I can get back here and get in the habit.
Hopefully....
I shall choose to try.
2. Soccer season is over. Two weeks ago. They played for six weeks. You see exactly how many pictures I posted up here.
- It was MC 2's first adventure with competitive sports and he really enjoyed it. Which is good because they lost every game but one. He didn't care. He just liked being out there.
- MC 1 loves to play. His team fared a little better. Excluding the cleat to the eye (which his wonderfully attentive mother just took him to the doctor about this week- that is right peeps- mom of the year trophy securely on my mantle), he had a really good season. (You'll be glad to know they eye checked out fine. He had no pain and no vision problems, it just wasn't looking like it should have IMO.)
3. The boys participated in another rodeo.
4. That's over, too.
- They both rode really well and the church who sponsored it put on a great program. HH is itching for the next one. MC 1 is going to have to find a new group due to the fact he has aged out of the one we always participated in. He is looking to football I think. Shhh....HH is not a fan.
5. The boys had track & field day at their school.
6. Zero pics of that as well. I really need a camera......
- MC 2 signed up for three running events, which shocked us all, and did really well. He wasn't first but he wasn't last.
- MC 1 had one goal in mind. Win the boys 800m. AND HE DID! This has been on his mind since the last field day. When I mowed my track last year, he saw it as his chance to train. He ran, he practiced, he prepared and it payed off. He was so happy.
School is almost out for us, and the timing is perfect. HH is enjoying the longer evenings. I keep reminding him we are not out of school yet. Bedtime still exists.
Okay, well that should hold you for a few days. Hopefully, this summer I can get back here and get in the habit.
Hopefully....
I shall choose to try.
Friday, May 10, 2013
DO WE HIDE BEHIND THE "SEASONS"?
I have been listening to a great deal of James MacDonald the last few weeks as he has become my soundtrack for the soccer practice laps I make around the field. One of the most recent sessions dealt with reconciliation with our brothers and sisters in Christ. That in itself is a different post.....
Thinking on that for a few days, the word "seasons" came to mind. It is a popular word in our Christian culture today.
In this season of my life....
We're entering into a new season...
You've most likely heard it. Maybe, like me, even said it.
I think one of the most common ways I have heard it, and used it, is regarding relationships.
A relationship ends...
Friends are no longer friends...
Co-workers change jobs (or don't)...
Church members leave...
The reply most often,
Well, we are just in different seasons of life now.
Which, I think, many times is true. Relationships do, and often should, change. People move away. Lives go in different directions.
I couldn't ignore the little prick, though, that asked what if we were using that term as a cover,for some camouflage, to hid the fact that we haven't dealt with the situation in the manner God calls us to.
Would we rather ignore the body of Christ than be reconciled with it? Him? Her? Them?
I don't know. I am asking you.
Do you think we over use the term?
Do you think we can hide behind it and avoid doing the work of reconciliation God calls us to?
Waiting to hear from you....
Thinking on that for a few days, the word "seasons" came to mind. It is a popular word in our Christian culture today.
In this season of my life....
We're entering into a new season...
You've most likely heard it. Maybe, like me, even said it.
I think one of the most common ways I have heard it, and used it, is regarding relationships.
A relationship ends...
Friends are no longer friends...
Co-workers change jobs (or don't)...
Church members leave...
The reply most often,
Well, we are just in different seasons of life now.
Which, I think, many times is true. Relationships do, and often should, change. People move away. Lives go in different directions.
I couldn't ignore the little prick, though, that asked what if we were using that term as a cover,for some camouflage, to hid the fact that we haven't dealt with the situation in the manner God calls us to.
Would we rather ignore the body of Christ than be reconciled with it? Him? Her? Them?
I don't know. I am asking you.
Do you think we over use the term?
Do you think we can hide behind it and avoid doing the work of reconciliation God calls us to?
Waiting to hear from you....
Saturday, May 4, 2013
BUT JESUS...
I had an incident with another mortal the other day and not a good one. I took a cussing like I never have before. Fiery darts were shot with the intent to kill.
But Jesus... was there.
He was all over me. We stayed calm. We didn't cry. We answered without accusing. We questioned without condemning. We spoke with a calm steady voice. We humbly sought out and accepted any wrong doing while enduring the wrath of a very angry person.
Then I walked away and cried like a baby. I asked the Lord to remove them from my bubble. Perhaps have them get blessed with a great job opportunity and go away. I told the Lord this is why I hated dealing with people. I asked Him if I could just put a wall up and not even deal with the situation any longer. Hide it, and the mortals, completely out of my sight. Just stay locked tight in my little bubble.
But Jesus....said no. He said this is exactly what you were called to do. To love the unlovable. To extend grace to the ungrateful. To address it with respect and humility, seeking a solution and not a vindication.
Don't be fooled. It's not all daises over here. There is bitterness trying to take root. I have felt it trying to pierce my heart. The voices of the flesh have screamed. My mind has been preoccupied with what I should have said this time or will say next time.
Those thoughts are trying to build a wall, brick by brick, around my heart. Bricks like
I just won't speak at all....
I've got nothing for them any longer....
It's not worth it....
But Jesus... reminded me that to be a follower is to be persecuted by the world. Maybe this isn't about me being a Christian specifically, but maybe it is. I don't think its a coincidence that just a few days prior I had actually thought about how great it would be if they found Jesus.
My chief attacker is not this mortal, but the enemy Satan himself. If he can get me to harbor bitterness, if he can get me to not turn the other cheek, if he can get me to not act like I am a follower, if he can get me to keep that heart of stone....
But Jesus...keeps pulling my thoughts back to Him.
Reminding me of the end game.
His glory.
His fame.
His adoration.
People choosing Him.
The world is mean. The world hates Christ. The world will hate us if we are following Him. Being in it but not of it is going to be tough. We can want to with all we have, but our flesh will fail. Our flesh will follow the world. We, in and of ourselves, are ill-equipped to do this.
But Jesus.....
But Jesus... was there.
He was all over me. We stayed calm. We didn't cry. We answered without accusing. We questioned without condemning. We spoke with a calm steady voice. We humbly sought out and accepted any wrong doing while enduring the wrath of a very angry person.
Then I walked away and cried like a baby. I asked the Lord to remove them from my bubble. Perhaps have them get blessed with a great job opportunity and go away. I told the Lord this is why I hated dealing with people. I asked Him if I could just put a wall up and not even deal with the situation any longer. Hide it, and the mortals, completely out of my sight. Just stay locked tight in my little bubble.
But Jesus....said no. He said this is exactly what you were called to do. To love the unlovable. To extend grace to the ungrateful. To address it with respect and humility, seeking a solution and not a vindication.
Don't be fooled. It's not all daises over here. There is bitterness trying to take root. I have felt it trying to pierce my heart. The voices of the flesh have screamed. My mind has been preoccupied with what I should have said this time or will say next time.
Those thoughts are trying to build a wall, brick by brick, around my heart. Bricks like
I just won't speak at all....
I've got nothing for them any longer....
It's not worth it....
But Jesus... reminded me that to be a follower is to be persecuted by the world. Maybe this isn't about me being a Christian specifically, but maybe it is. I don't think its a coincidence that just a few days prior I had actually thought about how great it would be if they found Jesus.
My chief attacker is not this mortal, but the enemy Satan himself. If he can get me to harbor bitterness, if he can get me to not turn the other cheek, if he can get me to not act like I am a follower, if he can get me to keep that heart of stone....
But Jesus...keeps pulling my thoughts back to Him.
Reminding me of the end game.
His glory.
His fame.
His adoration.
People choosing Him.
The world is mean. The world hates Christ. The world will hate us if we are following Him. Being in it but not of it is going to be tough. We can want to with all we have, but our flesh will fail. Our flesh will follow the world. We, in and of ourselves, are ill-equipped to do this.
But Jesus.....
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
IF I HAD A LIFE SONG.....
Most my life I've been doing my best to
Try and hide anything less than perfect
I covered up all my scars
I gotta make them think I’ve got it together
Make believe nobody ever has to see
What I keep in the dark
Truth is, I was wrong
That’s the part that you have wanted all along
We are, we are, we are the broken
But we are, we are, we are the chosen
So come on shine, shine, shine
Your beautiful light
Through the cracks inside our hearts tonight
‘Cause we are, we are, we are the broken
Coast is clear we got nothing to hide
All are welcome here
Step into the light
Where there’s no more fear
Can you hear the freedom song our souls are singing
Come just as you are
Take those walls around you and tear ‘em all apart
We are the weak, the wrong, the too far gone
We are the outcasts, yeah, but today we belong
We are the lost, the found, the been knocked down
But we got back up and now we are the city on a hill
Is filled with stained glass hearts, but we come as we are
We come as we are
And we shine like stars, shine like stars
We come as we are and we shine like stars
(We Are The Broken lyrics by Matthew West)
Thursday, April 11, 2013
GROWING THEM SMALL....
Our kids go to public school. They hear, and see, things I wish they didn't. Things other kids innocently share. Like this past week, when MC 2 told me about his little friend whose parents are divorced because, "his dad loves another girl". How heartbreaking for a little boy to be carrying that around.
We, as parents, have the option to either brush things like that under the carpet or address them with a biblical world view. In this instance, we talked about how sad that was, how that is not what God intended for marriage, what God does intend for marriage, and how can we help our friend. Prayerfully, talking about these things innocently shared will pave the way for conversations when the topics are much more weighty.
My kids don't live in a bubble. The real world gets in their space at times.
Guess what? Try as you may, you kids don't either. Regardless where they go to school, or how involved we are as parents, our childrens' lives are filled with people who make mistakes. People who make choices we don't agree with. People who don't parent like we would parent. People who don't esteem Jesus as we hope all would. Then, there is us, and as parents, we make plenty of mistakes. We don't esteem Christ as we would want. We make decisions on Monday that don't align with what we confirmed on Sunday.
Day in and day out, our kids are interacting with sinful flesh and bone people, who don't always get it right.
What are we to do?
I hope to encourage you to address those situations as they come along. Not pointing fingers at those who stumble, including ourselves, but pointing our kids to Jesus. Teaching them that Jesus has a better way. Teaching them that they, too, will fall, and if they will let Him, Jesus will pick them up. Just like He does us.
According to MC 2, the little boy felt powerless. He could do nothing to stop this from happening. MC 2 told him, "You could pray about it."
A bud bursting forth in a little man child's heart scattering some seed in another little man child.
Yes, Lord, yes. Not to brag on our parenting, because this same MC had to apologize to his best little friend last week for calling him a not nice word, but to point to Your faithfulness. To be the Gardner who grows the little seeds of faith we have thrown out to our kids. We may never know the full impact of what our kids see and hear, but rest assured they are watching. Lord help us to point their eyes and their hearts toward You.
We, as parents, have the option to either brush things like that under the carpet or address them with a biblical world view. In this instance, we talked about how sad that was, how that is not what God intended for marriage, what God does intend for marriage, and how can we help our friend. Prayerfully, talking about these things innocently shared will pave the way for conversations when the topics are much more weighty.
My kids don't live in a bubble. The real world gets in their space at times.
Guess what? Try as you may, you kids don't either. Regardless where they go to school, or how involved we are as parents, our childrens' lives are filled with people who make mistakes. People who make choices we don't agree with. People who don't parent like we would parent. People who don't esteem Jesus as we hope all would. Then, there is us, and as parents, we make plenty of mistakes. We don't esteem Christ as we would want. We make decisions on Monday that don't align with what we confirmed on Sunday.
Day in and day out, our kids are interacting with sinful flesh and bone people, who don't always get it right.
What are we to do?
I hope to encourage you to address those situations as they come along. Not pointing fingers at those who stumble, including ourselves, but pointing our kids to Jesus. Teaching them that Jesus has a better way. Teaching them that they, too, will fall, and if they will let Him, Jesus will pick them up. Just like He does us.
According to MC 2, the little boy felt powerless. He could do nothing to stop this from happening. MC 2 told him, "You could pray about it."
A bud bursting forth in a little man child's heart scattering some seed in another little man child.
Yes, Lord, yes. Not to brag on our parenting, because this same MC had to apologize to his best little friend last week for calling him a not nice word, but to point to Your faithfulness. To be the Gardner who grows the little seeds of faith we have thrown out to our kids. We may never know the full impact of what our kids see and hear, but rest assured they are watching. Lord help us to point their eyes and their hearts toward You.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
INVISIBLE
I wasn't really sure how to start this post, but about a week ago, a lunch table discussion gave me the perfect word....invisible.
Have you ever felt invisible? Our lunch table discussion brought up examples like being the only childless woman at a baby shower or being the little older, still single gal at the bridal showers. Some mentioned feeling that even at church not a soul would notice if they were there or not. Even in your own family, feeling as if no one sees what you do or what you deal with.
Invisible.
Can I tell you I had myself a good old fit about this a couple of weeks ago? Let me back up and say this- there are times when I fight off the little waves of attack when I feel I am not seen and then there are my two year-old tantrums where I want to take my toys and hide just to see if anyone will miss me. Just to dare them not too! This was one of those fits.
My family doesn't care....
My friends don't care....
I could miss church for months and no one would even notice....
No one checks in one me....
No one is concerned about me....
As one of my students drew on his notes the other day,
blah.....blah....blah....
Note to you: please don't send me messages or call me telling me you do care out of guilt. I know those of you who do, well, you really do. The rational me knows this, but this particular week, the emotional, insecure me was driving the bus.
So, in the middle of my self-imposed, and escalating tantrum, I made a decision.
I was responding to no one for a week.
No calls.
No texts.
No Facebook discussions.
No tweets.
I would speak only when directly spoken to.
In my mind, they didn't care and I was about to prove it.
And prove it I did.
I proved that I was not the center of their universe.
I proved that the world still went around with out my two cents worth.
I proved I could isolate myself quit nicely if I wanted to.
I proved I could be a mighty good cave dweller.
Want to know what the funny thing about that cave was, though? I wasn't alone.
HH was there, and it seems I hadn't been talking to him in a while. The week of no calls to anyone on the outside left me time to talk to him.
And Him. Yes, I hadn't been talking, or listening, to Him very well either.
Seems I had been treating them both as if they were invisible.
Truth is, you and I are not invisible. We may not be seen by the people we want to be seen by. We may not be seen by the people we think should see us. But we are seen. There are people watching us every day. People who see how we respond to what comes our way. People who see how we act when we think no one sees. Little ones who watch what mommy does as she goes through her mundane chores.
And we are seen by El Roi, the God who sees.
You and I do not go unnoticed by the God of the universe. When the enemy tries to convince us otherwise, lead us into a tantrum, and seal us up in a cave, we must choose to believe what Christ has said.
He sees us.
Isaiah 49:15-17
15
“Can a woman forget her nursing child,
And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget,
Yet I will not forget you.
16
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me.
(NKJV)
We are not invisible.
I hope you choose to believe that truth.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
HE IS RISEN, HE IS RISEN INDEED!
Mark 16
(NKJV)
He Is Risen
16 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.
2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.
3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.
5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.
7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVE LEARNED DURING THIS SEASON OF LENT...
is that I choose.
* Disclaimer - I know there are individuals who have addictions that they simply cannot just choose to not do. Be it alcohol, food, drugs, sex, pride.....I know.
I know because I know and have known them. I have seen them desperately try to just stop, only to be lured back again, pulled down deeper in to a pit they can't get out of.
This is not that story. This is my story, because I also know that there are also a good number of us who walk defeated because we choose to.
The hallelujah chorus for both stories is the fact that without Jesus Christ, without choosing Jesus Christ, we would all be lost. It's by His strength and grace that any of us walk in victory, not matter how big or small.
okay - back to my story....
Yes, I still choose.
Food is an battle for me, especially sweets. They have been my go to comfort.They have been my go to stress relief. They have been my go to best friend when I felt friendless. They have been my idol...let's call them what they are. They have been heaped onto wounds and insecurities in futile attempts to appease the flesh. Restraint had been cast off.
I have given up candy, chocolate, and the like before for Lent, but this time was different. I needed to break the cycle and establish Who was going to take the lead. I had honestly felt defeated. I felt that the sweets were stronger. I felt I couldn't walk away and once I started, I was a goner.
I chose to bring this situation, and all its ugliness, to the Lord. During this season of Lent, it was no longer a sacrifice but a choice - to put Him first. I imagine my surprise when about two weeks in I realized I had walked in some victory. The moment when I realized those carbs did not have near the power over me like I thought they did when I laid them down before Jesus. Can I get an amen on how our areas of defeat pale in comparison to the Throne of Christ Jesus? How, many times, the thing we were beat down with, which felt like a telephone pole when we battling in our own strength, was nothing more than a flimsy reed when dealt with by the Hand of God?
By relying on Him, I could, and can, walk away.
Which is a good reminder as the days of Lent grow to an end. A reminder that this is victory does not just have to be for a season, but can be for everyday from here on out.
I choose.
* Disclaimer - I know there are individuals who have addictions that they simply cannot just choose to not do. Be it alcohol, food, drugs, sex, pride.....I know.
I know because I know and have known them. I have seen them desperately try to just stop, only to be lured back again, pulled down deeper in to a pit they can't get out of.
This is not that story. This is my story, because I also know that there are also a good number of us who walk defeated because we choose to.
The hallelujah chorus for both stories is the fact that without Jesus Christ, without choosing Jesus Christ, we would all be lost. It's by His strength and grace that any of us walk in victory, not matter how big or small.
okay - back to my story....
Yes, I still choose.
Food is an battle for me, especially sweets. They have been my go to comfort.They have been my go to stress relief. They have been my go to best friend when I felt friendless. They have been my idol...let's call them what they are. They have been heaped onto wounds and insecurities in futile attempts to appease the flesh. Restraint had been cast off.
I have given up candy, chocolate, and the like before for Lent, but this time was different. I needed to break the cycle and establish Who was going to take the lead. I had honestly felt defeated. I felt that the sweets were stronger. I felt I couldn't walk away and once I started, I was a goner.
I chose to bring this situation, and all its ugliness, to the Lord. During this season of Lent, it was no longer a sacrifice but a choice - to put Him first. I imagine my surprise when about two weeks in I realized I had walked in some victory. The moment when I realized those carbs did not have near the power over me like I thought they did when I laid them down before Jesus. Can I get an amen on how our areas of defeat pale in comparison to the Throne of Christ Jesus? How, many times, the thing we were beat down with, which felt like a telephone pole when we battling in our own strength, was nothing more than a flimsy reed when dealt with by the Hand of God?
By relying on Him, I could, and can, walk away.
Which is a good reminder as the days of Lent grow to an end. A reminder that this is victory does not just have to be for a season, but can be for everyday from here on out.
I choose.
Monday, March 18, 2013
FOR THOSE WHO FEEL ALONE, UNSEEN & DEFEATED....
Psalm 25 (NIV)
Of David.
1
In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
2
I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3
No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
4
Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
5
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
6
Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7
Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.
8
Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
10
All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11
For the sake of your name, Lord,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12
Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13
They will spend their days in prosperity,
and their descendants will inherit the land.
14
The Lord confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
15
My eyes are ever on the Lord,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17
Relieve the troubles of my heart
and free me from my anguish.
18
Look on my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
19
See how numerous are my enemies
and how fiercely they hate me!
20
Guard my life and rescue me;
do not let me be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
21
May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, Lord, is in you.
22
Deliver Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!
You are not.
Friday, March 15, 2013
WHICH ROOM DO YOU CHOOSE?
Mc 1 and I are sprawled out on the couches watching AFV. I just walked into the kitchen and let me tell you, the cleanliness of it made me so happy. I like a tidy house, but a clean kitchen is my top choice if only one room is going to get done. For some it's the bathroom, but I live in a house full of men, 2/3 of whom don't have the best of aim (the driving years concern me because they tend to lean in whichever direction their eyes wander), so I gave up on that one.
Today's question is which room do you choose?
When you get up in the morning, what's the one room you want clean?
Let your OCD loose!!!
Today's question is which room do you choose?
When you get up in the morning, what's the one room you want clean?
Let your OCD loose!!!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
SPRING BREAK 2013
has been full of everything I wanted it to be... lots and lots of home time!
I am a homebody. I like to stay home. I would rather stay home. Now I do get the urge to leave my cave after a few weeks of solitary confinement, but it takes A FEW WEEKS.
HH is not that way. He is not wired for the home. A day is about as long as he can go without venturing out among the English.
The boys have been okay with it. They had a big weekend to kick things off. Friday we went to WinterJam because the one and only Toby Mac was going to be there, along with Matthew West, Jamie Grace, and Newsong just to name a few. If you have never been, let me warn you, 10 bands takes a bit of time, but for $10, completely worth it! The boys liked all the bands except one, Red, who were a little too loud for their taste, even if the fire show was spectacular. They kept asking if we could go outside. Considering we were at the top of the arena, with a lot of stairs between us and the bottom, the answer was a no. MC 1 asked, "Are they still screaming about Jesus?"
Yes, yes they were, and delighting HH while doing it. He likes that kind of music. He's an odd duck.
Saturday found the boys and I waking up at my mama and daddy's house, which meant biscuits and gravy for all. We fed animals for some friends of ours, and then they had a big fishing adventure with HH while I took a road trip with mamacita to my baby sister's baby gender reveal party.
Sunday we crashed. Which is what we have done for most of the week. We have cleaned, gone through closets, got caught up on laundry, you know things like that. We didn't leave the house until Tuesday, and only out of necessity. HH made us get out last night. If I can work it, today we go nowhere.
I know it's not very exciting, and a week at the beach is enticing, but for this week, this year, it is what I choose.
What about you?
What do you like to do for Spring Break?
Homebody or world traveler?
What do you choose?
I am a homebody. I like to stay home. I would rather stay home. Now I do get the urge to leave my cave after a few weeks of solitary confinement, but it takes A FEW WEEKS.
HH is not that way. He is not wired for the home. A day is about as long as he can go without venturing out among the English.
The boys have been okay with it. They had a big weekend to kick things off. Friday we went to WinterJam because the one and only Toby Mac was going to be there, along with Matthew West, Jamie Grace, and Newsong just to name a few. If you have never been, let me warn you, 10 bands takes a bit of time, but for $10, completely worth it! The boys liked all the bands except one, Red, who were a little too loud for their taste, even if the fire show was spectacular. They kept asking if we could go outside. Considering we were at the top of the arena, with a lot of stairs between us and the bottom, the answer was a no. MC 1 asked, "Are they still screaming about Jesus?"
Yes, yes they were, and delighting HH while doing it. He likes that kind of music. He's an odd duck.
Saturday found the boys and I waking up at my mama and daddy's house, which meant biscuits and gravy for all. We fed animals for some friends of ours, and then they had a big fishing adventure with HH while I took a road trip with mamacita to my baby sister's baby gender reveal party.
Sunday we crashed. Which is what we have done for most of the week. We have cleaned, gone through closets, got caught up on laundry, you know things like that. We didn't leave the house until Tuesday, and only out of necessity. HH made us get out last night. If I can work it, today we go nowhere.
I know it's not very exciting, and a week at the beach is enticing, but for this week, this year, it is what I choose.
What about you?
What do you like to do for Spring Break?
Homebody or world traveler?
What do you choose?
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
MY EYES ARE NATURALLY GREEN...
They really are.
But I am not talking about those eyes, set a little crooked on either side of my nose.
Luke 12:15 (NKJV)
1 Corinthians 6:10 (NKJV)
1 Thessalonians 2:5 (NKJV)
For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness.
I have been reading through the New Testament lately. Anyone else start at Genesis on their reading plan and seem to lose traction as you get into the NT? I just decided to start there this time. This theme of covetousness has been showing up over and over. The one that states "let it not even be named among you"...whew. When something stands out to me repeatedly, I figure the Lord has a point and wants me to take a look at it in my own life. So, I did and it wasn't very nice.
We have lots of opportunities to covet in our culture today.
We have reality TV shows that are anything but. Odds are you aren't going to meet your husband/wife for the first time wearing your best formal wear and being dropped off in a limo. Most of us aren't housewives in Beverly Hills, Orange County, or Atlanta, and many of those who are have a very different lifestyle than what we see on TV.
We have social media. Facebook, blogs, and Twitter are minefields for jealousy. We don't get as many likes, retweets, friends or followers as the next guy. People do not comment on my posts like they do on hers. I think my Twitter is broken because no one responds to my tweets like they do his.
These media avenues also allow us a peek into people's lives that we have not had in the past. We see their perfect family photo, the cute kids, the adoring husband, all of which may be true, yet, hopefully, we are not privy to the argument the spouses had the night before about money or church or whatever. We don't see the meltdown the mama just had with her kids. We don't see the rebellious teen who just keeps pushing his/her parents buttons.
And we shouldn't.
Same thing happens in our churches. Most people, myself included, answer that we are fine when asked how are we doing, regardless of the fact if we are or aren't. We at least want people to think we are. We brought our family, our Bible, and our tithe so we are doing just great. Many times we are, but not all the time.
In those times we aren't, in our times of discontent, we can find ourselves looking to others and thinking how easy they seem to have it. How blessed they are. How I wish my spouse esteemed me like that. How I wish my kids were like that. How I wish people would respond to me like that.
We get tunnel vision.
And our eyes turn green.
Over the last several weeks, the Lord has been having me look at my own reactions to people and situations to see if I am looking through eyes tinted green with covetousness. It has not been easy, it is still not. I am still trying to get to the bottom of the issue and get out of my tunnel vision. What I have learned is one way to break my tunnel vision is to shift my eyes. Look elsewhere. Look up.
But I am not talking about those eyes, set a little crooked on either side of my nose.
Luke 12:15 (NKJV)
And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
1 Corinthians 6:10 (NKJV)
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:3 (NKJV)
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
Colossians 3:5 (NKJV)
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
1 Thessalonians 2:5 (NKJV)
For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness.
1 Timothy 3:3 (NKJV)
not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
I have been reading through the New Testament lately. Anyone else start at Genesis on their reading plan and seem to lose traction as you get into the NT? I just decided to start there this time. This theme of covetousness has been showing up over and over. The one that states "let it not even be named among you"...whew. When something stands out to me repeatedly, I figure the Lord has a point and wants me to take a look at it in my own life. So, I did and it wasn't very nice.
We have lots of opportunities to covet in our culture today.
We have reality TV shows that are anything but. Odds are you aren't going to meet your husband/wife for the first time wearing your best formal wear and being dropped off in a limo. Most of us aren't housewives in Beverly Hills, Orange County, or Atlanta, and many of those who are have a very different lifestyle than what we see on TV.
We have social media. Facebook, blogs, and Twitter are minefields for jealousy. We don't get as many likes, retweets, friends or followers as the next guy. People do not comment on my posts like they do on hers. I think my Twitter is broken because no one responds to my tweets like they do his.
These media avenues also allow us a peek into people's lives that we have not had in the past. We see their perfect family photo, the cute kids, the adoring husband, all of which may be true, yet, hopefully, we are not privy to the argument the spouses had the night before about money or church or whatever. We don't see the meltdown the mama just had with her kids. We don't see the rebellious teen who just keeps pushing his/her parents buttons.
And we shouldn't.
Same thing happens in our churches. Most people, myself included, answer that we are fine when asked how are we doing, regardless of the fact if we are or aren't. We at least want people to think we are. We brought our family, our Bible, and our tithe so we are doing just great. Many times we are, but not all the time.
In those times we aren't, in our times of discontent, we can find ourselves looking to others and thinking how easy they seem to have it. How blessed they are. How I wish my spouse esteemed me like that. How I wish my kids were like that. How I wish people would respond to me like that.
We get tunnel vision.
And our eyes turn green.
Over the last several weeks, the Lord has been having me look at my own reactions to people and situations to see if I am looking through eyes tinted green with covetousness. It has not been easy, it is still not. I am still trying to get to the bottom of the issue and get out of my tunnel vision. What I have learned is one way to break my tunnel vision is to shift my eyes. Look elsewhere. Look up.
Mark 8:25 (NKJV)
Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.
When I choose to look up, I will see everyone clearly. I will see Christ in the fullness of His love and grace, His truth and justice. I will see those around me as the flawed humans we all are. I will see my brothers and sisters in Christ as we are - striving to be more like Jesus and some days actually doing it.
Covetousness - to be aware of it, to see it for the idolatry it is, and to not let it even be named among us takes some conscious doing on our part. To recognize it, to confess and repent, and to battle the sin of it with Scripture is the road we must walk, but not alone for Christ will make each step.
To steal from Coach Eric Taylor (for all you FNL fans)-
Clear eyes - focused on Christ
Full heart - of the love and grace of Christ, toward myself and others
Can't lose.
You and I, we have to choose.
When I choose to look up, I will see everyone clearly. I will see Christ in the fullness of His love and grace, His truth and justice. I will see those around me as the flawed humans we all are. I will see my brothers and sisters in Christ as we are - striving to be more like Jesus and some days actually doing it.
Covetousness - to be aware of it, to see it for the idolatry it is, and to not let it even be named among us takes some conscious doing on our part. To recognize it, to confess and repent, and to battle the sin of it with Scripture is the road we must walk, but not alone for Christ will make each step.
To steal from Coach Eric Taylor (for all you FNL fans)-
Clear eyes - focused on Christ
Full heart - of the love and grace of Christ, toward myself and others
Can't lose.
You and I, we have to choose.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
