The Trash

I finally got to clean out my truck, yes, it was pretty dirty. There was a lot of garbage in the back, where my kids sit. Lots of school papers that they have discarded from their back packs. I found toys, clothes, shoes, wrappers, etc...I scooped it all up, sorted it and threw most of it in the trash. My truck seems to be a catch all for everything.  When's it's all cleaned up and free from the stuff it seems to actually run better!
This morning I read in Philiippians 3:7-9, "The very credentials these people are waving around as something special I'm tearing up and throwing in the trash--along  with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant--dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by Him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ--God's righteousness."
Yup, like my back seat, I too am throwing out the rules for Jesus. His Robe of Righteousness is covering me and He is leading me on an unexplainable path, the crazy path of Jesus.  To throw out all the riches, the world, the fads, the mediocre life, the ways to conform, the usual ways of thought, and the old life for Jesus and His embrace and the privilege of knowing Him.. Yes! This is value!
Say That Again Jesus, you have brought significance, renewal, life, value, love, and peace, because You have embraced me. Thank you!

The Kept

This birthday, I felt loved and treasured by my family and friends. There were some significant gifts that God spoke to me through, all of them bracelets! One was a garnet bracelet with a heart charm, symbolizing compassion. For me, it has reminded me of the compassion that Jesus has poured upon me on a daily basis. his never ending love and His patience for the journey that I am on. The compassion that He has when He looks at me, and in turn, the compassion that He grows in me for others. He keeps compassion in me, to extend to others on a daily basis, because this is love and blessing.
The second bracelet has a little saying on it: "My dear friend may your day be filled with blessings and may you always have the courage to spread your wings and fly."  I really like this, and I know that if I remain captured in the Hands of Jesus, kept there with Him, He will give me the courage to fly. We will stay on this adventure together, each day looking at life, growing in new ways, being transparent, real, alive, courageous.  And, even though I feel like a scared person sometimes, I know the power of His Spirit is deeply rooted within me. I know I have His authority to overcome the enemy. And, so His name I will praise!
The third bracelet has a single charm, a butterfly. My friend chose a butterfly because of transformation.   Butterflies are creatures of amazing transformation. God created them that way! This is what He has done and is still doing with me, transformation. And, during this process He has lovingly kept me, and tenderly promised me many things. It is an amazing journey!
So, my friends may not have realized the significance of their gifts, but God was whispering in their ears. He is keeping them too, holding their hearts, transforming them on their journeys towards the kingdom.  He is molding each one of us with tools of compassion, courage, and the capacity to be transformed into His image.
Jesus, I am asking for wings of a butterfly to fly this journey with You, to be as compassionate as You, to have the courage of Your Spirit, and to always live Your truth.  I am thanking You for the blessing of friends who speak into my life. Say That Again to me, You have Kept me, because I am Your child and You love me! 

The Season

The verse in Luke 10 has been coming to me through various people several times, and when I woke up this morning, it was the verse on my mind: Luke 10: 19 "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you."
I need this verse, in this season of my life. I believe it is true, but I don't always FEEL it! I've become aware of more patterns in my life, and one very prominent one is that I have a very difficult time during the months of October-December. It is my season of challenges, fears, memories. And, as I peer into the box of time,  and stake my claim on Jesus through surrender, and claim authority over the enemy, letting go of old pain that has held me back from enjoying the joy of this season, He moves me forward.
I think it is challenging to look at a life that has been abused.  But, I know that I am Captured in His Hands, and His love for me never ends. He has asked me to walk this journey for a reason, and I will walk it for Him, so I can in turn help others. He has brought so many women into my life and blessed me in wondrous ways, my prayer is that I will be able to bless them.
This is a difficult season for me. Jesus is walking with me and He is wrapping me in His robe of Righteousness. It is good. He has promised. And, it won't last forever. Summer always comes!
Say That Again, Jesus, You give perseverance, to keep going. To keep looking. Thank you for sticking with me!

The Sight

When I woke up this morning my eyes were stuck together with gooey stuff, and they were hurting. Once I got them open they were red and still in pain. Ugh, I've been here before, and it's not fun. I put some drops in them, and laid down with hot packs on them.  As the morning has progressed, the redness has lessened, and the pain too, but I will need to be diligent, or I will not be able to use my eyes. And, I don't know about you, but my eyes are a necessary part of my daily coming and going!
This afternoon, while resting my eyes and visiting with God, He brought to mind the story of the man in  Mark 8. He was blind and his friends brought him to Jesus and begged Jesus to heal him. Jesus took the man by the hand and led him out of the village. He then put spit in the man's eyes, laid hands on him, and asked, "do you see anything?" The man looked up and said " I see men. They look like walking trees."  So Jesus went at it again, and put His hands on the man's eyes again and this time the man's vision was perfect!
So, what's with the tree's?  I think this is a fascinating story, and I don't really understand why Jesus didn't just heal him right the first time. What's with the tree's?  What's the message here, exactly?
Men aren't always as they seem? Yeah, that's true...
We don't always see perfectly? Yup, that's true too.
The forest gets in the way....
I prayed for healing of my eyes this morning. And, I know that He will do that. Maybe not today, but He will heal them. Because He is my Physician, my Healer, My Mighty God. I pray for insight, truth, understanding, love, depth, for His glory to be revealed, He will and He is doing all of this. It is magnificent. Who will join me in this prayer? My Mighty God is here to love on you too!
Say That Again, dear God, You are Healer of us all, take my hand and lead me to wherever You want. Heal my eyes so I can see Your way. I am Yours!

The Claim

Last night someone asked me to talk about what this last year has been like for me.  I didn't answer her question. I diverted to other things and went on to other people, because, the question was big, and I didn't know where to begin. I was with a group of friends, all of them women that I love, but, still God has done so much that my mind swirled and toppled and needed time to think. When I look at all that God is doing, even in one day, sometimes it's hard to keep up! Just in that room, last night, with my friends gathered there, I found it amazing. Look what God was doing!
It was only a few months ago that God had very clearly said to me that He would be expanding my territory, and sure enough, many more women have come into my life.  Lovely women that have enriched my life, women that He is using to further His Kingdom. Women that teach me and bless me in numerous ways. God takes each one of us and brings into our life such growth, and I found it so amazing how He enriches us with just the right friend at the right time. I find it to be such a blessing how He has brought so many of us together to love each other, at a time such as this when love is so deeply needed.
When I got up this morning and God led me to 1 John 2,  I especially loved verses 5 and 6. " But if anyone obeys His word, Gods love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are made complete in him. Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did."
Jesus loves better than anyone! He loves beyond my behavior. He sees my heart, my soul, my motives.  He then works to change me into a being that is like Him. He enables me to walk like Him if I am willing to do that, so I can love like Him. And, oh, how I want to do this! I want to further His Kingdom, I want to hear hearts, and love deeply. Who will join me, to join Him in this quest for the Kingdom?  Who has a passion for Jesus? And, a passion for His people?
Jesus, change me in such a way that I will hear Your heart, and then hear the hearts of others. Keep talking to me! Say That to me again and again and don't stop. "Love others!"

The Love

"When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end.  Because I am GOD, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your savior, I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you." Isaiah 43: 2-4

Say That Again, Dear God!  You truly are amazing.

The Crazy Track

It shouldn't be surprising to me that on my birthday I woke up to the verse in Proverbs 3: 5-6 "Trust God from the bottom of your heart: don't try to figure everything out on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track."
This year God has been challenging me with trust. Do I trust Him with all my heart? When He tells me to do something, do I listen to His voice and believe He will keep me on track? Do I trust that the people He has brought into my life are wise and good and also trusting Him with their hearts?
Reflecting back over this past year, it's amazing to me how He has led me on a path that at times, to me, seemed so senseless. I do hear God's voice, and when I hear Him tell me something, I do it.  It leads to a crazy life sometimes because it doesn't usually make any sense, not to me and probably not to others. But, then looking back, I see the path has become straighter and straighter. Relationships have become stronger and stronger. I have trusted more and more.  It may not always feel like it, and I may still be feeling the fear and asking God if this is really the direction I should be going, but still I am stepping, and still He is working. And, strength is building within me.
This is the miracle of God. This is what He does everyday in all lives when we allow Him too.  And, this I think is marvelous and of such magnitude I can't even explain it.  He changes hearts, transforms living souls, sometimes without one even realizing it. And, it's all about trusting enough to love enough to step out enough to love others to trust and so on and so on.  To persevere in love. To stay when all else fails.
So, today on my 49th birthday, I praise God for the path that I walk, the one He has presented before me. I praise Him for the family He has blessed me with to walk this path alongside me.  He has gifted me with an abundance of children and an adoring husband.  I praise Him for the friends He has given me that stay in my life, my messy life. Friends that love. And, I praise Him that He stretches a path before me and says to me "go that way"  even when it seems like a crazy path, I choose to go.
Jesus, Say That Again, You will keep me on track, if I listen to you!