Author: Christine

Too tall. Too small. Too wide. Too thin. Good knees. Bad shoulder. Willing mind. Weak heart. As I age, I begin to see my human limitations. I can not do the things I could physically do as a young person. Three hour basketball practices, cross country running, all day softball tournaments. I now have to take breaks, slow down, pass on a strenuous physical activity. It does not mean I have stopped enjoying life. It just means I have begun to enjoy new activities. Pickleball. Walks. 30 minute workouts.

Praise God, we can truly say He is awesome in power, limitless in all He is able to do. ” O, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17) We can look beyond our own limitations and pray to the One who is able, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20) Let us be careful not to put limitations on God. He is sovereign and as we pray, let us be faithful in our knowledge of Him. Allow God to “sustain, strengthen and deepen your faith” (John Piper) as you trust in Him more and more each day.

Did you wake up today thankful for a new 24 hours before you? As a community of believers, Christians should be the light shining for Christ today. Each day, let our thoughts be on others. How can I make a difference?

If you are raising children, you are overwhelmed, under appreciated, tired. But, you are giving all of yourself for the good of your children. You are making a difference.

If you are working, laboring, busy, you are appreciated by your family as you meet their needs of food, clothing and shelter. You are making a difference.

Whatever you are doing, as you serve, as you give of yourself with a joyful heart, a generous spirit, you are making a difference. Thank you for your loving, kind, compassionate heart. Thank you for putting others over yourself, for being more concerned for the well being and care of others. Look around you today. Ask yourself, “How can I make a difference in the lives of those in my world of influence?”

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.“

Thoughts. Meditations. Filling up our minds. What are you allowing to enter in: Facts, Fear, Truths, Worry? We need to be careful of what we focus our thoughts on because what we fill our minds with become the desires of our hearts.

I have been besieged by this truth over and over again this week. In my morning devotion, in my Philippian bible study. God is drawing these truths into my view right now for this very time. Me, you , us- we all need to guard our hearts and minds that we may meditate on His truths so God can rule in our hearts.

Philippians 4:8 “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Today, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to all 3 of my sons, all on an individual basis. As a mom of boys, I do not take this for granted and I savor each chat.

I am thankful for the 3 sons my husband and I were given the opportunity by God to raise. As much as I would love to have all of them under our roof today, I understand they have their God-given, God-directed lives to lead. I continue to remain their biggest cheerleader and most faithful prayer warrior.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

As I watch the nightly news, I see conflict, unrest, disobedience. In this country. I am saddened by how unhappy people seem to be. I also understand this is not new. As a country, with many freedoms, people display their displeasure without being in fear of their lives. But what if we focused on the positive, on what is right in this country? Wouldn’t that bring about successful dialogue and bring opposing views together, under the umbrella of love and respect?

When I first started writing, almost 4 years ago, I had just finished reading “1,000 Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. She inspired me to focus on the blessings in my life each day. I started looking outside myself and started taking a different look at my life- what blessings do I see? I called my first attempt at a blog, “Thankful November.” As I look back at those posts, this is what I was thankful for: $2.99 chicken breasts, pigeons, baseball, jury duty, time, Sundays, church, children, Election Day, soldiers, vacant lots, the Bible, teachers, garbage men, seasons, porches, traffic, dogs, birthdays, first responders, water, the human heart, words, rain.

Can we as an individual, a group, a community, a city, a state, a nation, start to focus on the positive? The blessings in our lives, being a thankful people. Let us build each other up. Let us love our friends, as well as our enemies. And in so doing, may God be glorified, a hurting nation healed, and hearts turned back to God.

Luke 6: 35-36: ““Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”

In ancient days, parents and grandparents passed down family history as well as national history to their children and grandchildren. In the Old Testament, they passed down the mighty works of God so the children and grandchildren would know their own history. And not only hear it, but see the faithful examples of daily living of faith by their elders.

Psalm 78:4b; 7-8: “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,  His power, and the wonders He has done… Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands. They would not be like their ancestors—a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to Him.“

Oh, how true these verses are today. If you are a born again, saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christian, are you passing down to the next generation the mighty hand of God working in your life? Are you telling others your testimony of faith? Even as our children mature and grow into adulthood, we still have a responsibility to teach them of God, that they may heed the call of God in their own life and live a life of faith today.

I pray for my generation to talk to the next generation. I pray for God to open the hearts of those young people who have not believed and trusted Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

In today’s world, just as in the old days, young people are ripe for believing, for trusting and following in a cause greater than themselves. Let us take up this responsibility of sharing the gospel. Let us help them to see and know the unfailing love of Jesus Christ. He is the One to follow.

The Psalms are filled with David on the run, people trying to kill him, the enemy on all sides. In whom did he put his trust? God. Listen to his declarations:

Psalm 56: 3: “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”

Psalm 57:1: “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    till the storms of destruction pass by.”

Psalm 59: 17: “O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.”

Psalm 61:1-2: “Hear my cry, O God,
    listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you
    when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,”

Psalm 62:1-2: “For God alone my soul waits in silence;
    from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

Psalm 62:8: “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him;
    God is a refuge for us. “

Psalm 63:3-4:”Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.”

What spiritual, emotional, physical battle are you in today? Seek God. Pray. Come to Him with your burdens. In Him you will find peace and strength to face today.

John 16:33: “I (Jesus) have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

I remember being asked recently, as I started out on a hike, would I like to take a walking stick with me. I poo-poo’ed the idea, thinking I was fit and athletic and I wouldn’t need an aide like a walking stick on my hike. Halfway through our hike, I started looking for sturdy limbs to use for a walking stick. I realized I was prideful at the start, thinking I could rely on self to have an enjoyable, successful hike. Hiking is taking careful steps, being sure of the terrain and a walking stick provides stability, whether going uphill or down. I realized my error and humbly admitted my mistake. I gladly accepted the walking stick that was handed to me.

In the same way, as we live our lives, under our own power, birthright, gifts, talents, abilities, we try the best we can to do good, live morally, and serve self and others. But is that enough? My search for God and His drawing me, opened my eyes to His truth. I do not have righteousness on my own and no amount of good works will put me in a right standing with God. The apostle Paul says the same thing in Philippians 3. He had the birthright, the education, the lineage, the religious title and when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he fell to his face, blinded by the light of Jesus. When he came to faith in Jesus Christ, He said he counted everything in his former life as rubbish. The only thing that mattered now was his life of faith in Jesus Christ and living a life of faith, looking to Jesus, the author and perfector of his faith, our faith.

Put aside your pride. Take hold of the free gift of salvation Jesus offers you today. Live a life of faith, growing and maturing in the knowledge of your Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:5-11 “I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

 

“It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring. He bumped his head and went to bed and couldn’t get up in the morning.” (Nursery Rhyme)

When we were little, if it was a rainy day, we would sing this song, telling ourselves that it was going to be an indoor kind of day. I could sing that song again today. Lots of tropical moisture, rain, steady. It’s an indoor kind of day.

The rain is not actually what brought this nursery rhyme to my mind today. As I was listening to the radio, a song came on by Micah Tyler, titled, “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring.” In the refrain, it says, “It’s raining, it’s pouring and You are restoring my soul… My sorrows are drowning in hope.”

In our country today, downpours of hate, discord and violence have turned to drops of unity, calm, peace. As a Christian, I look to God and give Him all the praise, glory and thanks for restoring not only peace in our cities, but for restoring hearts. Redeeming those who choose Jesus, choose forgiveness, choose love.

Our fears, anger, anxiety over this past week are now drowning in hope. Hope for wise words to be spoken. Hope for kindness to return. Hope for a better life for our children. Take time today to examine your own heart. Allow Jesus to enter your heart, redeeming your soul, restoring peace in your life, giving you a future and a hope.

Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”(NLT)

Why Black Out Tuesday? As I am scrolling through social media, I am seeing many posting “black” on their page. I get it. Bring unity, remembering a man senselessly murdered.

As I look at the black though, I am led to see the “black” as a symbol of sin and darkness which is what has fueled the riots and violence following that one senseless act. Be upset. Seek to bring about change. Peacefully protest the injustice. The man responsible has been arrested and will face justice.

Instead of posting “black,” let us post light, for it is God who has the power to change and transform hearts. Let us see each other as humans, walking this earth together. Let us come together to pray for a country divided, scared, in chaos. Satan is the god of this world and what is happening right now in our country brings him joy. Chaos, disorder, violence, fear is what he wants to see. People who live this way serve self. They know better but are allowing their emotions drive their actions. John 3:19-21 says, “the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Let us look to another example. Jesus. The Son of God senselessly murdered. He was arrested, tried for His crime, sentenced to death, beaten, crucified. Why? To bear the sins of all mankind. To do the will of His Father. To be the sacrificial Lamb. The wrath of God was poured out on Him at the cross. He died, was buried and 3 days later ascended into heaven. That you and I may have life in Him.

As a human, I became convicted of my black, sinful heart. I turned my eyes upward, asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins and turned to follow Him. In that instant, my heart was changed. My life was transformed. It was the Love and Light of Jesus that opened my heart that day. It is the Love and Light of Jesus that rules in my heart today.

As I change my profile today, I do so to bring people’s attention to the Love and Light of Jesus. He is what all black, sinful hearts need today. He has the power to transform hearts and change lives today. Accept the love of Jesus and let your light shine on the true Light of Life- Jesus Christ.