No distance between us

We were having family devotions the other day after dinner.  As Tim was reading, some words resinated inside of me.  I wanted him to read it again - to highlight the words.  They were words that were so beautiful to me - a picture so beautiful.  I have underlined the one particular sentence that I fell in love with.

"Do not look to your own thoughts, but walk in the Spirit; so will you accomplish the work the Spirit desires for you. ... Therefore be diligent.  Follow Me so closely that there will be no distance between us.  Listen carefully to My voice so you do not go your own way.  Set your heart to follow to the end, for at the end there awaits an exceeding weight of glory for those who endure."

As I heard these words I had such a longing for this every day.  I know those times when I have been so close to the Spirit.  It is I who get in the way so many times when I try to accomplish my work instead of His work in my life.  Galatians 5:25 "Since we live by the Spririt, let us keep in step with the Spirit."  To keep in step means that we are following.  Have you ever tried to keep in step with someone you are walking with?  Tim and I try that sometimes but it can be hard.  His legs are longer than mine and he has a differerent stride than me but for me to keep in step with him I have to stay focused and pay attention to each step he takes.  Many times along the way I will mess up the step but I just have to get back in the rhythm again.  That's a beautiful picture of following the Spirit of Christ.  When we allow him to lead us sometimes we will get off step, our attentions wander in other directions, we get sidetracked.  But he is still there with us, gently guiding us back to him.  I want to be so close to him that there is no space between us.  What peace that will bring to my soul, what peace it does bring to my soul when I am walking in step with him.

...and after alot of practice walking in step with the Spirit, I have those times when I find myself not having to work so hard to pay attention to where my feet are walking because through his power I am confident that where he leads will be the best and most beautiful for me.

Dear Jesus, I thank you so much this day for sending your Spirit to live within me.  It is so amazing to me that you love me so much that you would indwell inside of me.  Help me to live my life empowered to live and walk in step with you.  Help me to get out of the way.  Speak to me this day and may I walk refreshed and filled up in you.

Freedom

I was challenged this morning about obedience to God.  As I read the story of Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac - which I have read many times - I was struck by Abraham's response to God.  God tells him to "take your son, ... and offer him there as a burnt offering..."  Now listen to how Abraham responds.  "So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey,...and his son Isaac.  And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him."  Do you catch what I did?  Abraham had no hesitation in obeying God.  No questions.  He just did it.  We know that God spared Isaac's life but what a test of Abraham's faith.  How would I pass such a test?  That one - I would fail.  I don't like that I'm not there yet.  Yet even as I think about my life I continue to fail the tests in my faith.  But you know?  Jesus was the sacrifice that paid for all of my failures.  I can live in the grace that washes over me.  I don't have to be bound by my failures but I can live in the freedom that Christ has brought into my life.  Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Halleluiah!  Praise Jesus!

Mobile Meals and my Mom

This morning I had my Mobile Meals delivery.  I do this twice a month (Tim does help me, he's my great driver)  It has been a blessing to help deliver meals to those in need.  We arrived today at our first drop off to which I tell Tim - "You are going to that door this time, I am not taking the chance of finding a man without pants again."  Yup, that happened last time!  As we continued our other 8 deliveries I heard a recurring theme from the people.  "I hope your getting home soon before this big storm comes."  So cute!  I felt like they were all my mother.  Oh, ya, I'm one of those. :)

I think Mobile Meals is an amazing thing.  It is one small way that allows the elderly to stay in their own homes.  Many are just unable to cook and they get all three meals delivered.  I also discovered that in some areas, like mine, that someone who was was released from the hospital and needs help with meals at home can also get Mobile Meals.  Most people don't know that.

One of our last clients we deliver to is a couple.  She sees the car coming up the driveway to her door and is always there right away.  She was so concerned about us getting home today before the storm hit.  As I walked to the car she said "God bless you."  I want to get to know some of the people more - sometimes I just want to go in their little apartment and visit with them but I have to finish the deliveries within a certain time. 

I want to hear some amazing wisdom from them.  I want to learn from them and hear their life stories.  I bet they have some amazing ones.  I know I do and I'm only 4_(not telling).  haha  Our daugher Angela had to interview someone for her Spanish 4 class so she called her grandpa.  I didn't realize she was doing this until we got home from our small group.  I walked in the door and she just said "grandpa is amazing.  I called him to ask him some questions for Spanish and I learned things about grandpa that I never knew."  She just smiled and I saw that it was a great bonding moment for her, even though it was over the phone.



James 1:27 "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this; to visit orphans and widows in their affliction; and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

I think about some of the widows whom we deliver meals to.  I'll just bet that some of them lost their husbands after being married for 50-60 years.  Seriously, can you imagine the loneliness they must feel!!!  And on top of it they may not even have any children around to visit with them or take them anywhere.  Hmmmm - may we all consider the above bible verse, pray about it and see what God opens up for each of us to do.  THEN JUST DO IT!  May Christ, our amazing Savior and King always receive all the glory and praise and honor. 

Keep us humble Lord.  Amen!

This is a picture of my visit with my mom in June.  She lives in an assisted living facility far from me so I was thankful I was able to see her.  My sister lives by her and takes amazing care of our mother.  I wish I lived close enough to lend a hand.  My mom has lost alot of her memory, mostly short term.  She didn't recognize me when I got there, told me "oh my, you look so different."  But the next day when I went back in the morning she told me "your husband is handsome."  So cute.  We shared afternoon coffee together, something she has always loved.

Me and my Mom



NO MORE OF THAT!

God is always doing his work in me.  Always!!  When I get down and filled with wondering sometimes I can forget to really reach out to God.  Sometimes I can get caught up in myself and fail to get down and real before God.  I mean really real before him.  Maybe it's because I don't want to see my own failures and my own mistakes but it is God who knows me inside and out.  He never even thought about leaving me in my own messes.  You love me Jesus, and walked right into my sin and washed my feet.  You, a King would wash my feet.  I cannot begin to say how thankful I am for Jesus love for me.  I cannot even begin to imagine the love that Jesus has for me.

This morning God spoke to me through his word.  He spoke to me and reminded me to rejoice in the Lord, and then said it again.  "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice."  I know why God said it twice - because I need to hear it twice.  Circumstances will always be there and I can get caught up in trying to work things out my way but that never gets us very far does it?  NO MORE OF THAT!

Nehemiah 8:10
"Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

We cannot have the joy of the Lord without his strength and we cannot have the strength of the Lord without his joy.  Seek his face and he will surely fill you up with his joy and his strength.

John 15:11 "These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy might be full."

What a thought - that our joy might be full.  Imagine being just full of the joy of the Lord!  That is what I want today...and tomorrow...and the next...to be full of the joy of the Lord.

day after day after day

"Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble. For you have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah. ... Does a maiden forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number." Jeremiah 2

I thought about these words in my own life this morning. As I sit in my living room this Saturday morning, enjoying my coffee and quiet time with God and in the Word I have to take a look into my own life and wonder what gods I have made for myself. Certainly I can look back in my life and think of many things that were way too important. What is it for you?

It might boil down to those times when you are in trouble. Is it only then that you reach out to God? Do you forget about God during the good times and profitable times in life? I love how God points out about a woman not forgetting her ornaments on her wedding day. So true - but don't you hear the sadness as he writes the last line? It's enough that the people have forgotten him, but "days without number." Not just at certain times but day after day after day after day. I imagine God's longing for us. I imagine his love for us - I imagine how we daily ignore him. We spend our day without him - oh he is there - but as the above passage says - we forget him.

One of my friends posted this video recently and I want to share it today. You can watch as much of it as you like but it surely inspired me. This little girl must be about 5 and listen how she is already interceding in prayer - spending time with Jesus. Obviously her parents have trained her early and I think it so precious and beautiful. Faith like a child - she prays believing. How would you like her to pray for you? Amen!!! And I love her mom in the background!!!



If you have gone way too long forgetting about Jesus just stop - get quiet - open up your bible - read - pray - ask him to speak to you - Malachi 3:7 says "Return to me and I will return to you" says the Lord Almighty" You are loved and longed for by the Almighty God. It can't get any better than that.

Conference

We just returned from a 3 day pastors and wives conference. I always come home tired and ready for my own bed. It's good, don't get me wrong but we are kept busy. One session, the next bible study, some free time mixed in one of the days...and lots of talking and sharing with other pastors and their wives. We share our ups and downs, where we live, where we have lived before - just life. Many are facing some tough challenges and in need of encouragement, some are in good ministries where they have been for many years, but wherever we all are we come together to listen and encourage, knowing that encouragement and listening to each other is what many of us need. So it was good, I am glad to be home and look forward to seeing what God is going to next in my life.

You know, we all have a story. I have many stories, stories of God's hand in so many aspects of my life and stories of transformation. These past few days I heard many stories. Some of hurt, some of frustration, some of power and the aww of God. And encouragement to continue bringing the power and the Spirit of Christ back home.

October is pastor appreciation month. If you want to understand your pastor and his family I would encourage you to do some reading online.

Hebrews 13:17 says "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you."

No better than this

Jesus spoke truth and life. He spoke the truth despite what others would think - hard truths for many. In John chapter 6 Jesus says "For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever. ... On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? ... The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." Hear what happens next. "From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."

You see Jesus spoke hard truths, knowing it would offend some. Some learned from it, took it in, grew in their faith, and some were offended and turned away. We can gloss over the truth with others so we don't offend them or we can be bold and speak the truth, despite opposition. I think it's interesting how Jesus says that our flesh counts for nothing. Don't we rely on our flesh alot? We forget that it is the spirit within us that gives us life. We forget that as followers of Jesus we have this spirit within us. We may know it's there but don't realize that this spirit within us has power so we just live in our own flesh. And living in my own flesh - well I usually mess up when I do this. It can be hard to understand sometimes. I would encourage you to pray, to ask God to speak to you, to open up your heart to an understanding of the life that is within you in the Holy Spirit. Jesus said "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." A full life, despite our circumstances.

We will always have "circumstances" in our life. They come in many different ways but this full life that he came to give us is not based on our circumstances. Paul learned what it was to be content in all circumstances and the full life he lived he lived in the Spirit of Christ that lived in him.

Our heavenly Father - his son Jesus - and the Holy Spirit - 3 in one. Loving us, longing for us, beckoning us, healing us, and living within us. It cannot get any better than this.