#worthyofhislove

John 11:35 “Jesus wept” is the shortest verse in the bible yet it tells us that we are worthy of His tears. In John chapter 11 we learn about Lazarus’s death. Mary and Martha, the sisters to Lazarus had been pleading with Jesus to come and heal their sick brother. In their eyes Jesus was too late, or was he? According to Jesus’s calendar He was right on time. We learn in John 11: 38-44 that Jesus ordered the stone to be rolled away and instructed Lazarus to come out.

Let us pause here, He ordered the stone to be rolled away. God is in the opening and closing doors business. When we see a closed door, we think we are too early or too late, or it is a “no” but who’s calendar are we living by? We must not give up on praying and taking steps forward because we never know when God will open a closed door.

My favorite part in the story is verse 44; “The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” How many of us are still walking around with grave clothes on? We have been made alive in Christ Jesus, we have been redeemed, yet we are still walking around with baggage.

I encourage you all to listed to this song, “Rise up” by: Cain. Some of the lyrics sing, “In the dark and all alone, growing comfortable, are you too scared to move and walk out of this tomb? Buried underneath the lies that you believed, safe and sound, stuck in the ground, too lost to be found.” I now encourage you to find a verse that encourages you to step out of whatever grave you are in and call yourself worthy of God’s love. Tuck that verse in your heart. Write it on your bathroom mirror. Put it on the steering wheel of your car and let God lead you to rise up.

My verse is from Proverbs 31:25, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” This is my finding joy in the journey but laughing at the days to come.

I found this graphic that shows us how to sign “worthy” and I wanted to share. Another way to look in the mirror and call yourself worthy.

#comfortzoneawareness

In December 2020 I will graduate with my Associates Degree in Business Administration. When I committed to school three years ago, it was stepping out of my comfort zone. There have been a lot of tearful nights sitting at my computer, asking my children for help, or phoning my cousin. I recently compared school with running, it is a love/hate relationship. There is always that fear of failure or asking myself, can I finish what I started? Then I remember the verse Josh 1:9; “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I have recently committed to running my first marathon by January of 2022. This decision has made me aware of where my comfort zone starts and stops. In November of 2019 I ran my first half marathon. At that time, I was stepping out of my comfort zone. Are you aware of your comfort zone? Just like our faith, God is always stretching us to move outside our comfort zones. Just like Gideon, God will use you and I in unconventional ways if we allow Him to work in our lives for His glory (Judges 7).

Just like school the result will not happen overnight. This will be a Journey that I hope to find a little joy along the way. Just like Nehemiah I have learned that the Joy of the Lord is my strength (Neh 8:10). Just like Joshua and Moses I know God will be with me through the process (Jos 1:5)

Listen to this song “Warrior” by Hannah Kerr. Some of the lyrics sing; “I will keep the hope alive, I will find the strength inside”.

#declarationforunity

Unity is so important in any relationship. As parents we need to have a united front with our children. As school administration and teachers, we need to have unity for our students. When picking a presidential candidate although we may vote for differently, we are united in that we want one president to lead our country in one nation under God. More importantly the church needs a united body of believers. Unity means the state of being united or joined as a whole. We read in Psa 133:1NIV “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity”. As we have all been through the trenches of COVID-19 over the last several months I believe unity in every relationship has been tested in a battle of unseen forces. We read in Eph 6:12NIV “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. It is never too late to heal and restore these broken relationships. I encourage you to listen to Kari Jobe’s song called “Heal our Land”. No matter the denomination, each church shares in the goal that Kari sings about; “We pray in every nation, Christ be known”. I encourage us all to write this declaration down and meditate on it. Let us ask God to search our hearts; “Search me God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” Psa 139: 23-24NIV. As we go to our places of worship may we see the church with a fresh perspective. May we worship our Lord and savior with true and proper worship.

Father,
I Declare to always enter the Lord’s gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise Psalm 100:4. You created us to fellowship, how good and pleasant it is when your church lives together in unity Psalm 133:1. May we be mature in faith, not easily persuaded by this world and its schemes. As we speak in truth and love, putting you Lord on the throne we will grow as one body, each of us equipped to do your good works Eph 4:14-16. Just as you accepted us, help us to accept one another so that we may lift our praises to you oh Lord Rom 15:7. As we strive to do nothing out of selfish ambition or in vain conceit rather in humility valuing others above ourselves help us to see the needs of others before we tend to our own Phil 2:3-4. In seeking unity there should be no division in the church body. Lord press upon our hearts to have the same love for one another 1 Cor 12:25.
In the name of Jesus

 Amen

https://youtu.be/DyzbpBR1KOI

#guilttogrowth

You may be feeling guilty for a failed obligation. You may be afraid to take the next step because guilt is holding you back. The Disciple Peter is a great example of how God can turn guilty around for His glory and His good.

Peter a fishermen was one of the first disciples called by Jesus to follow Him in Matt 4:19 “Come, follow me, “Jesus said, “I will send you out to fish for people”. That Christ follower, Peter once walked on water in Matt 14:29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat and walked on water and came toward Jesus.” That Water Walker, Peter later denies Jesus in Luke 22:34 “Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me”. That very same Peter who was guilty for denying Jesus was the first to perform a miracle after Jesus’s death in Acts 3:6 “Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I don t have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

Let your guilt be your catalyst to what God has planned for you and what Satan is working overtime to keep you from obtaining. Jesus still wants to walk on water with the guilty. Jesus knew when he called a fisherman named Peter, that the same Peter would later deny him. Last week Deborah talked about being chosen. In this song, “Praise Before My Breakthrough” some of the lyrics sing, “Lord all I need to know is you choose me” & “When I’m living out my faith, when I’m stepping on the sea, I know you take my hand and walk with me”.

How will you turn your guilt to growth? It is never too late. God will work it out for His glory in Rom 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according for his purpose”.

Praise Before My Breakthrough by: Brian and Katie Torwalt

#Godisthere

Everyday we have the gift of the Holy Spirit in us and around us so that God is always there. My word for 2020 has been “Gifts”. For many of us 2020 has been everything but a gift. As I have suffered the loss of my Dad, many of you have suffered a loss or hardships as well. In the old testament, temples had to be built for God to be there. The book of Ezekiel gives us a clear picture of the new temple. In Ez 48: 8 NIV we read how the temple is to be presented as a “special gift”.

“Bordering the territory of Judah from east to west will be the portion you are to present as a special gift. It will be 25,000 cubits wide, and its length from east to west will equal one of the tribal portions; the sanctuary will be in the center of it”.

If an old biblical temple is a special gift, housing God, then our bodies as temples are a special gift as well. In Cor 6:19 NIV, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you whom you have received from God? You are not your own”. One of the many blessings of this gift is that God is with us always. In Ez 48:35 NIV we learn what the name, Jehovah-Shammah means.

“The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. “And the name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord is There”.

If God is there, then he is always near. In the song God is near by Rend collective, we sing “Hallelujah God is Near”. A few of the lyrics sing, “Closer than a whisper, close enough to hear my heartbeat, closer than a kiss, close enough to raise my heartbeat”.

Last week Deborah talked about brokenness. Often in the brokenness we feel like God has left us. The Bible tells us in Psalm 34: 18 NIV the exact opposite; “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”. October is Mental Health awareness month. Some people are so broken, they do not see themselves as a gift or worthy to house that special gift. In fact, we are all worthy of that special git, even sinners like you and me.

Let us all remember to pray for those that are crushed in spirit. May they feel God’s presence and know that He is there with them always.

#dream

In the last few months several families, friends, and our community have experienced unimaginable tragedy. When you lose someone often it can feel like you are amid a bad dream. Yet in the morning when you awake, the unsettling truth is still reality.

As humans we ask; why do bad things happen to good people? My thought has always been that since Jesus died on the cross, our pain and suffering is no different. This past week my daughter Kendal helped me see things in new perspective. The perspective is that God loves all his children. We are all precious in his sight, therefore when bad things happen, he does not categorize us as good or bad. I was reminded of the scripture from Psalm 139:13; “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb”. God’s love for us started with our creation.

Kendal went on to tell me about a scene in the movie ‘The Shack” where the father is asked to choose one of his children to go to hell over the other, which would it be? Of course, no parent could make this choice because they are equally loved just as God equally loves His children.

This past week in prepping and planning to write, I came across this song, When God Dreams by Scott and Becky Parker. The lyrics sing; “When God dreams, there’s a throne. His children have come home. In one voice will praise His name, oh Lord. Will always remain in the image we were made. The old life gone to a long-lasting grave. When God dreams, I believe we become what we might be, there’s no more shame, no more pain, no more suffering”. Again, this is a beautiful reminder of God’s love for us and how He sees us from creation.

In our Run for God group, we have recently talked about how grief is different for everyone. My grief over my Dad’s death is going on ten months. Since we did not live in the same town, there are days I dream of seeing him at Christmas and then I wake up. A friend shared with me that grief is like an ocean and that it comes in waves. I find this to be very true. In the same song, the question is asked, “When God dreams, does he dream in colors we can’t see”? This is a beautiful reminder of how God sees our lives from beginning to end. Just like the footprints in the sand poem, He is there to carry us through our trials here on earth and will never leave us as we journey to our forever homes.

Note, the pictures shown are of my sister Leaha and I with our parents during and after my Dad’s cancer journey. We have been blessed to create many memories that we continue to dream about today. 

#nourishtoflourish

I am tired both physically and mentally. Juggling life is messy. No matter how chaotic life may look, I know I must take care of me by nourishing areas of my life that will allow me to flourish in the middle of the chaos. In Ephesians chapter 5 we read about instructions for the Christian household. It does not mean we need to submit to perfection but rather submit to imperfection. We can learn from the Apostle Paul on how to care for ourselves and our loved ones in Eph 5:29 NIV; “After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church”.

This past Monday was a day full of imperfections. As I sat and read my morning devotions, my coffee mug slipped out my hand and crashed to the floor. Was I more upset I waisted good coffee or shattered a good mug? Now that I had a mess to clean up, I was in desperate need of more caffeine, not more work. While packing my lunch with just 5 minutes to spare, I spilled the bag of pretzels while pouring them. As the pretzels scatter across the counter, I could feel the emotions build up. Was this how my day was going to go? I could already hear the devil’s reply. Just like the pretzels scattered so did my mind in a million directions.

Juggling means to continuously toss into the air and catch several objects, to keep at least one in the air while handling the others. That Monday evening, I juggled a run, dinner, and then the dreaded homework. It was 11:00pm before my head hit the pillow. Although life is messy and chaotic at times, I am thankful to have the grace of God to walk with me through my imperfections. Some of us go to bed wondering, if we were an intentional mom, a loving wife, or a faithful friend that day. We must remember to love and nourish ourselves, including our flaws, just as Christ loves us.

Will you give yourself grace tonight as you lay your head down? Juggling is not perfection. Next time you have multiple objects in the air, remember it is ok to let one fall.