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Jesus Messiah
There is no more thorough, compelling rendering of the breadth of the beauty of Jesus, than that found in John’s first chapter. So comprehensive is this passage… painting Jesus in the most vivid colors: He is from the beginning, Eternal He is the Word He is God He made everything that is Life is in Him That life is the light of men Darkness cannot put it out Jesus was coming…
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Kindness In Suffering
The Lord is faithful in ALL His words righteous in ALL His ways kind in ALL His works ~ Psalm 145:13,17 ~ ~ This beautiful truth found in Psalm 145 has been especially meaningful of late. Life is hard these days… very hard. I’m not the only one I know clinging to Jesus like never before. It’s difficult to find evidence of kindness when you are suffering, or someone you…
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‘Day One’ Archives – Thoughts On Transitioning to a New Normal
So many of my peers are experiencing the loss of their parents. I still have the gift of having both my mother and father here. My friends, without exception, remark that you cannot be prepared for the depth of the loss. You think you are, and you aren’t. Each time I hear that someone has passed on, I’m reminded afresh, the invaluable gift that grief is. God invented it. He knows…
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The Battle For My Mind
What’s going on in my thoughts and how is that affecting the way I respond to my life? For several months this question has been on the front burner as a handful of resources have come my way. From James McDonald: Think Differently (video series) From Marita Littauer: Wired That Way (book & personality profile test) From Pricilla Shirer: The Armor of God (bible study) I solicited none of these,…
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Respect
respect – the condition of being esteemed or honored I’ve been thinking about my ability to offer respect to another person. I’m reminded that our culture puts a premium on productivity, on a person’s willingness and ability to “put out” something substantive with their time, talents, and initiative. Not surprisingly then, my criteria for offering respect is attached to that cultural value. I might say, “Do something worthy of respect…
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‘Day One’ Archives – Fatal Distraction
Part of the Christmas story tells of the man and young woman God called to be the parents of Jesus. They were each rich in Godly character, entering an adventure that would take them where no other humans would ever be asked to go. They played supporting yet crucial roles in the life of Jesus, fulfilling those roles with integrity. As my thoughts turn toward the impending year, I’m already…
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Safe to Disclose
I make an assumption that there are an awful lot of folks within the Family of God that remain unable, unwilling, or at a minimum reluctant to reveal their true selves to the rest of The Family. There could be many reasons for this, but what about the person who stays “shut down” for fear of rejection or being judged? I make this assumption because generally speaking, Jesus’ followers (I’m…
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Influenced or Influencing
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. ~ Romans 12:2 ~ And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.” ~ Matthew 24:4 ~ In Biblical times, Jesus influenced and radically transformed the way His followers conducted their lives. He…
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The Quality of Love
The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes! ~Psalm 119:64~ I’ve been mulling over Truth in Love that posted a few weeks ago, about what it means to hold love in one hand and truth in the other. The love of God leads, and truth follows as the Spirit leads. I’ve been letting that thought percolate. Context: Several times every day, I encounter a…
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‘Day One’ Archives – Lenses and Judgements
In a season when I’m daily offered multiple invitations to pass judgment about all manner of things and upon all manner of people, these words from the archives are a good reminder that I be a woman quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. The Lord does not see as man sees… ~I Samuel 16:7~ A few years back, I drove past a terrible car accident, arriving just after…
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Truth In Love
I sometimes find myself on one or the other end of the “truth in love” scale. Jesus never did. It didn’t matter if He was talking to an outcast, a politician, a cheat, a prostitute or one of many kinds of marginalized people of His day, He connected with the person at a heart level, a mile below the surface of their outward “stuff.” Did He end up speaking into…
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As If We Were Family
We, The Church, are Family. We treat each other AS FAMILY. We reach beyond our borders and we love others AS IF they were family. This is the love of Jesus in action, a love we’re commanded to extend. ~ And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. A teacher I listen to often spends the 1st half of his teaching providing background…
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Vulnerabilities – Suitors
I’m monitoring the points of entry to my heart. I field invitations from those who wish to access it. I think of them as suitors, because they woo. That is their nature. They present a proposal that would cause me to open the door allowing them to enter and occupy the place in my deepest heart. Some of my suitors are well meaning. They seek to meet my desires and offer…
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Vulnerabilities – Occupancy
The conversation started in the last post has three arms to it. Under the umbrella of Vulnerabilities are Points of Entry, Occupancy and Suitors. Here’s the Reader’s Digest version: I have certain points of entry (vulnerabilities) that all have as their end-point, my heart. There are suitors that vie for entrance through those points of entry. I am the doorkeeper. I attentively monitor activity at my points of entry. I…
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Vulnerabilities – Points of Entry
Whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster. ~ Proverbs 1 ~ I am discovering that vulnerabilities are not the looming detriment I used to believe they were. I think they are instead something quite neutral. They are very simply points of entry, much like the front door of your house. They are weaknesses to the degree that something harmful accesses them.…
