Good Cheer

This morning I went by Starbucks to get my morning coffee. the usual: Vente Quad Half Caff, No Fat, No Foam, Latte. I ordered a muffin too and sat at a small table close to about 8 to 10 people sitting together. I have seen these people together week after week. There are several different groups that meet at Starbucks all the time. (I normally see them as I swiftly get my coffee and leave promptly to go to work. )Their conversations were really funny and I caught myself listening and then laughing out loud. A few of them looked over and saw me and I kinda quieted up. I liked the people and wished I could have just joined in. I didn't though. I thought it would be brash and rude of me. As I was walking out and driving off, I was thinking how fun it would be to meet people every week at a certain time to sit and visit over coffee. That is just so special to me. What a blessing to have that in one's life. It's what's been referred to as a core nucleus. It takes,time, work and commitment on the part of every person. I have alot of friends, but they are scattered and many that don't know one another. I don't have 10 friends that live close enough together to make that possible. I think it would work if this group of people had a common interest. Could I influence others to feel the same importance to this that I do? As you read this, what do you think about this? Is it something you see as special to have in your life? Please pray and seek the Lord if He desires this for you. If so, give me a call!

Strive for Holiness

I hear the phrase alot from christians "I've turned it all over to the Lord & I let him live His life through me." So, if all we are to do is turn it over to Him, does it not seem sorta a passive approach? When the apostle Paul said he had learned to be content (PHILLIPIANS 4:13) I believe he recognized it was his responsibility to be content and to not just turn it over to the Lord & trust Him to do the work of being content. Paul had to work at it and he knew he could only be content through the Lord, who gave him strength. Because of his union "In Christ" he was able by faith to rely upon Christ working in him through His spirit. Paul did not say "Christ shows contentment through me" Rather he said " I have learned to be content through Him who gives me strength"

The apostle Paul urged Timothy to discipline himself to be godly. He had a responsiblity to train himself, yet at the same time he recognized his dependence on the Lord. Paul didn't mean for Timothy to discipline himself in his own strength and willpower, but to be strong in the grace- that is the strength-that is in Christ Jesus. To pursue holiness there must be discipline on our part, but also dependence on the Lord. As we depend on the Lord, He enables us to live a life pleasing to Him.

Some years ago, I was struggling to love a christian sister. God spoke to me about my lack of love for her and I sensed He said to me "If I love her, can you?" I responded " Lord, I can't but I'm willing for You to love her through me." Over time I came to love this person & we are very good friends. Did Jesus then love her through me? No, He enabled me to love her. We are not passive in this pursuit of holiness. We are the one's who love. We are the ones who clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12)But, we do this in utter dependence on Him who gives us strength!

Do I think we don't always sense that strength, you bet. How about when I fail, when I weep over a sin I've committed? Could it be that the Lord is showing me the sinfulness of my own heart? Could it be that I had been depending on my own efforts and how weak I really am and how dependent on Him I really am? Maybe it's spiritual pride and a good cause for me to grow in humility. He best knows how to respond to our dependence. We can plant and we can water, but it is the holy spirit who makes us grow. We must keep in balance our discipline/dependence in the pursuit of holiness and be aware of our tendency to put our confidence in the performance of our disciplines. Remembering Christ's words " Apart from me, you can do nothing." Through the discipline of prayer , we can grow in a conscious sense of dependence on Christ knowing we are utterly helpless without Him.

baby boy days shorter

Last week we had a baby shower for our daughter & her fiance. We had so much fun! We had a house full of people. She was so happy to see so many who had come. We played some games too. Just a couple of months left and the little guy will be here.
This month has been a whirlwind of activity for me. I could write about a lot of things going on, but I'll save getting you in the whirlwind! Life is speeding by and I put in a full day. I praise the Lord each and everyday. When my eyes open in the morning, the first thing that happens is I realize I woke up in my bed and then I close my eyes again and tell Jesus "Good Morning Lord" "I love you Lord" "Thank you for Loving me Lord"
Now it is the end of the day and I've been sitting here singing and rehearsing the songs we are singing at church tomorrow.
So I'm going to end this short blog with this song it my heart:
You're the love of my life
You're the joy of my morning
You're the song of my heart
and I will praise your holy name
singing- ha-le-lu-jah-----ha-le-lu-jah-
singing-ha-le-lu-jah- and I will praise your holy name.

Only By His Grace

Being spiritually transformed comes by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, I know that we are involved in that process. It is only by God's grace that we are able to work out our salvation. I want to live by Grace, not by my performance. I don't want to live believeing that God's blessings are a condition of my spiritual behavior. An example would be like when I have a good spiritually uplifting day. Can I forfeit God's blessings when I have a bad day? No I can't because I know that I don't earn God's favor due to my performance. Wether I have a good or bad day does not limit or add to God's blessings on my life or the life of others. I am never good enough on my own performance or worthy enough to deserve His blessings, I just know that His Grace is available and enough on both my good and bad days. That is what Christ did for us when He died on the cross for our sins. This is what is amazing too....that we sin all the time....even in our good days. I sin in my thoughts, in my words, in my actions and in my performance. I wonder sometimes if I have fully grasped that Christ has already borne the curses for our disobedience and earned for us the blessing of obedience. We are saved by grace and we are to live by his grace alone. It is only by trusting Christ alone as our hope secured that we receive His blessings of grace.

Dear Heavenly Father-
Have mercy on me a sinner
I kneel at the foot of the cross
where you died for me
This is the place where I feel your burning light
Where your love shines the brightest
It is there that I confess my sins to you
& the grace you provide for me when
I fall day after day
May your glorious love for me compel me
to live an obedient & holy life
For where you are, grace abounds .
May I continue to learn and grasp day by day
your saving grace knowing that I am undeserving of it.
In Jesus's name
Amen

Busy LIVING!

Just checking in to let you know I haven't forgotten about this blog. I've been really busy with alot of change since writing last time. This month is almost over. The time sure flies by!
I've spent time with my family early in the month. I found a way for all my brothers and sisters to get together at least one time a year! I've got 4 brothers and 6 sisters!~ Coming from a large family, it's hard to get everyone at the same place at the same time....! What I created I have called "4 Times a Year" and it has been successful. In January 2007, I got the calender out and picked out 4 dates in each season & posted them on our family website. Of course the one in winter is Christmas...! Everyone makes that one! I asked for someone to volunteer to take a date and have it at their home. We meet together over lunch or dinner and spend the rest of the time just visiting and catching up on each other's lives. If you can make 1 of the dates that is good. But, if you can make more than one, that is excellent! This time was such a blessing. It was over my Dad's new home. I really like the effort & priority everyone is making to be together.

Just prior to this, the Lord impressed upon my heart a strong desire to take captive His voice and by His grace, He has given me his strength & the discipline needed to resist putting anything in my mouth He didn't want me to. I know I couldn't do it without Him pursueing me. It's been a spiritual fast, receiving spiritual food instead of cluttering His temple with what is not good or of any nourishing value.

I went to my Pathways refresher last week and it was such a blessing to be in the room again. The one thing that I was struck with is the honesty & love in the room. The main reason I see that it works is because of how God has designed his creation to need one another and how being in a room full of people sharing at a heart level in this safe place.... is a need in itself... that God has put into each person He created. Nothing monumental has to happen after they leave those doors because it took place within those doors. They experience what love is and they figure out over time how to get it and how to receive it. I pray for each one that they as well know that God is pursuing them and they hear his voice calling them. If your a believer in Jesus Christ, you know that our life is to be given away. May each one experience that kind of love and for those who have found it & received it, May they love the Lord with all their hearts, with all their souls, with all their minds, and all their strength.

I've got 3 more classes in Bibliology & Hermaneutics left. Every christian should take this course. I am definately going to take all 6 courses.
Pastor George's leadership class has been well worth it too. These two classes have been instrumental in my life. They make beautiful music together!

On the home front, my husband is getting underway with jobs interviews and my daughter has moved back home with us for support & to have her baby here. She's become a wonderful chef! She's cooking fabulous meals for us! Our son is progressing well this college semester and likes his new part time job. He's wearing his hair long. I'm getting use to that. He's mostly had the extreme (some times bald) hair styles. My business and the one at the spa are a blessing as well. The Lord has given me plenty of opportunity to shed his love with others. I just get tears in my eyes when I think of how much the Lord has done for us by giving His all. I so want to please Him and I know I already do. I know there's not anything I can do for Him to love me more.....that's not it...It's just what He puts inside of us....HIMSELF! That sure is humbling. I know I am nothing apart from Him.
It's time for sleep!