The Gift

Hi! Wow, I know it has been a while since I have posted. But hopefully what I have to share with you today will touch you as much as it did me and make up for my silence. Life is a series of choices... To me life is trying to listen to God and follow His lead. Last night God not only laid someone upon my heart but something He wanted me to do for this person.  A gift He wanted me to send them.  So I contacted an old friend and asked them via messaging for their address, so I could send them this gift. At first this person seemed a little skeptical that this was for real.  And it got me to thinking... First, how sad it is that we can't trust that someone would contact us and really want to give us a free gift.  I mean in this world that does seem highly unlikely right? Now a days there are all these scams and such.

But all of this got me to really thinking... And I thought about how God must feel. Here He is with the most awesome, free gift ever and so many people reject His gift. Reject Him. Reject His love Just put yourself mentally in this situation, that you have a free and awesome, exciting gift to share but the person you most want to share it with won't accept it.

God wants the absolute best for us. He wants to share His love and blessings with us for all eternity. The greatest gift ever! I don't know that we can fully grasp this but let us try... After all we might have to sacrifice a little money or time with our gift but in no way can our gift and giving compare to His.  He who left heaven (perfection, joy, peace...) to come to earth and be in flesh.  To endure all that that we humans endure here... to be among the ugliness and sinfulness of this world. He not only did that but he suffered rejection, torture and death to bring us this gift. He battled death and rose from the grave to give us this gift of life. This amazing gift cost us nothing but cost Him so much. I can only imagine how it grieves Him when His creation rejects Him. Rejects love!

Let us think on His goodness, His love, and let us treasure Him and the gift He has given us. This is not a gift for us to horde but to share. So though we too may face rejection in sharing this gift, trust me the greater rejection and pain is felt by Him. Let our pride not hold us back.But let love lead us forward.Love truly does conquer all.

Just so you know my old friend did not reject the gift God desired to send... And I rejoice with Him in that and cannot wait to see the blessings that will come forth from this. He is good, all the time He is good.  Let love be ever before you and let love (Him) be your guide.

His love, His glorious and amazing love

Upon awakening this morning the Spirit guided me to read Psalm 65. Specifically starting in verse 7 - confirmation and an interesting follow-up to yesterdays post.  Read it all if you have a chance and praise Him, He is so worthy!

Just a little while ago while I sat to spend time with Him and hear from Him, He showed me something.  Yes, maybe something you know or have heard before but it so resonated with my heart today.  I was thanking Him for my children and telling Him that though they each have their "issues" I wouldn't trade them for anything, I love them so! They are my beloved, little ones, precious in my sight and no matter what they may do or say, I will always love them. 

And here it comes - He loves me & you like that!  Steeped in sin, failing, falling, lazy, anxious, sick, you name it - whatever, we come with - He takes us as we are and He loves us.  No, because He loves us so much He will not leave us that way... He will in every way possible seek to teach us; guide us to live righteously; to make right choices; to be and live healthily; to love - Him & others; to care for others and their needs; to be healthy in every way.  That is His desire and heart for us and for any good parent - right!?!

He loves us. He loves YOU, let that sink in. He loves us so much that He planned from before time a way to have me and you with Him forever.  He came to the cross knowing my sin and your sin.  Having that sin laid upon Him, He took it and then carried it away - away, as in as far as the east is to the west.  As my Pastor once pointed out... You can travel north and at some point you start going south or the other way around BUT if you travel east you will always be heading east, it does not become the west.  You can not do it! Our sins are so far away we will not even have a chance of running into it again!  Amazing is it not!!!  Back to what I was saying - He loved me and you there in our sin, He didn't love us only after He removed our sin and carried it away - the bible says that while we were STILL in our sin He died for us.  Think about it... while in our sin we are separated from God, enemies - and yet, He chose to come and die for us that we might be with Him forever, that He might save and redeem us, ransom us from the captivity we were in... THAT IS LOVE! 

He did all of that to call us beloved, the apple of His eye, His child, precious, wanted, accepted, embraced, forgiven, cared for ... He will NEVER leave me (or you), nor forsake me.  His Word tells us that as a nursing mother cannot forget the child at her breast nor can He forget us.  When I think of the amazing love and bond between a mother and child - wow! YET it PAILS in comparison to the love He has for us!!!

How can you not sing His praises, love Him, worship Him - our Redeemer, Creator, Provider, our ABBA!?!  How can you not want to please Him?  Young children seek and long for their parents praise and approval, should we and do we not also want to hear that from Him?!  Affirmation, well done... What great, amazing, unfailing, faithful, never ending, hard to fully fathom love He has for us, His children!

Run to Him today - cry out to Him, Abba! Fall into His open arms and love Him.  Sit with Him and listen to Him, lean on Him and obey Him.  Bask in the glow of His love and affection for you, His grace, mercy, peace and joy!  He shines so much brighter than the sun... true warmth that fills and transforms and saves!

May He be your first love and may you love Him with the child like faith and love that children have... How wonderful and precious that is. 

Beauty in the Storm

As I sit here now snow is falling down upon us… It is a beautiful, majestic sight to behold, this winter storm with all its beauty & might. Outside my window is a blanket of white upon the ground and a wall of white in the air … So much symbolism. When you look you can’t see all the flakes just the wall and blanket but in it are individual flakes – all unique and different, Created by God just like you and me. A closer look and inspection would show you the beauty and finger print of God on each one, just like us. Close to my window you can see the flakes blowing and swirling around… it really is beautiful! I wonder and have to think is that how God sees us, His children, as we go about our daily lives… He sees the flakes the individuality and He sees the whole big picture and He thinks we are beautiful.


The Storm also reminds me that it is a display of God’s glory – His beauty – His majesty, power, might… We have such an awesome God! He is even more beautiful and mighty than this… We can only catch a glimpse and it is enough to awe us as we await what our eyes cannot now behold.

I am thankful to be sheltered/shielded from the storm. I am warm and protected in my home. It is another reminder to me of how God is our safe shelter, our shield, our protector and provider. The LORD surrounds us and even when we are surrounded by the storms of this life (our current circumstances, trails, etc.) we can be safe, secure, at peace, shielded under the wings of the Most High God! We can behold the storm and yet we are protected from it… Reminds me of the fiery furnace (Dan. 3) and Elijah in the storm. They were not harmed, though they were in the mist … instead in the middle of these times is when they had a personal encounter with God. Awesome! God is with us, He surrounds us… How amazing is His love… that Christ would come and die for me, cleansing me of my sin and rising to life that we may live with Him forever! I cannot get over His love nor do I ever want to… Cling to Jesus and let Him be the Rock and Shelter for you in all the storms of life and in all the joyous times too.

Two News Stories

I had to share these two news stories with you that I received from Breaking Christian News!  Please click on the titles below and check them out!

Non-Gravitational Fifth Force

Law & Order Episode "Dignity"  (Video clip)

Who I am ... In Christ

A few thoughts ...

LORD, who am I that You should love me; that You should care? Who am I that you would save me...? I am Your creation - You knew me before the foundations of the world - You knew me in my mother's womb and brought me forth safely.

You created me with a purpose... I am unique and created in Your image. I am a child of God, bought with a price (the blood of the Lamb of God, my Lord & Savior - Jesus Christ). Through You I am loved, blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, forgiven... I am part of Your royal priesthood, made pure, blameless, a bride. I am gifted, filled with Your Spirit - my body is your Temple - a dwelling place of the LORD God Most High!

O LORD great is Your mercy, love and faithfulness! I am not worthy of You, of any of this... Yet You call me Yours, You know my name. You love me! There is no greater love than Yours. There is no greater treasure than You - to know You, to love You, to serve You - my LORD, my God, my King. I rejoice in You, in Your love forever! Amen.

Thank you Jesus!

Thoughts after reading Psalm 77:19-20:

At the Red Sea's parting God's footprints may not have been visible but He was there! He was there leading His people like a Shepherd leads a flock. God was there - He is here now - He surrounds us, protects us, saves us, delivers us, redeems us, leads us in the righteous path... He leads us to our glorious inheritance in Christ Jesus!

Blessed, blessed are we to be called His! Praise Him!

Fear of the Lord, that is wisdom

I have been reading in Job lately... and there is so much that has stood out to me but I don't have time to write it all today. I just wanted to share a few thoughts with you.

How prideful we (humans) can be -look at how we judge and seek to exalt ourselves (our thoughts, actions, etc.). How little is our understanding and awe of God (for the most part)...


“And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is understanding.’” Job 28:28 (NASB)

Sometimes I just miss it... I am too wrapped up in myself, my plans, my thoughts, etc... and I miss what this life is really all about. And it isn't about me! My friend, Lisa and I were talking yesterday about a multitude of things - but this blog brings to mind our discussion of the Church... how often times now the churches are trying to bring in the masses... and in doing so, often are catering to them - pleasant messages, emotional ones... Not that in our spiritual journey we do not need milk but we also need the meat. We need to progress... and to not take only pieces of the message presented in the Word but we need to present the Word in its entirety. Yes, we need grace and mercy but we also need to be convicted and rebuked. If you only do one you are missing it - you are missing the big picture. You are missing out on who God is fully and missing His message. A great example of this is parenting... I am sure you have seen examples of both where parents go to one extreme or another - and I am sure like me you have seen the results... You need both!

I have noticed too that we try to reason our way to who we think God should be and what He should do... but who are we to do that!?! We are the clay and He is the potter! How can we even think that we, the creation could tell our Creator what is best!? How can we think to judge our Creator - to judge what He does or doesn't do?! PRIDE - people it is pride! If we fully grasped what we were doing we would fall on our faces and beg forgiveness! Look to the Word and believe what it says - Who God is, Who you are in Christ...

12“Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this,
For God is greater than man.

13“Why do you complain against Him
That He does not give an account of all His doings?

14“Indeed God speaks once,
Or twice, yet no one notices it.

15“In a dream, a vision of the night,
When sound sleep falls on men,
While they slumber in their beds,

16Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction,

17That He may turn man aside from his conduct,
And keep man from pride;

- Job 33:12-17, NASB

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:9, NASB

Which brings me back to judging others... As I read Job's friends' commentary to him ... and how sure they were that this calamity that had befallen him was because he had sinned... I just thought wow - I am sure there has been an occasion or more that I have done this same thing myself... However, as I read I noticed they had no example, no action to rebuke Job with. They had nothing they could point to, to reprove him (let me point out reproving and judging are not the same thing - see a previous post of mine on this). No, they just had conjecture and the prideful assurance that they must be right and Job must have sinned - that they fully grasped who God is and all His ways, thoughts and actions.

Let us remember not to judge, let us remember we are not God who can search and see the hearts and minds of man...

“I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind, ..." - Jeremiah 17:10a, NASB

"The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7, NLT

Seek wisdom and understanding - for it is far more valuable than gold, diamonds or pearls... clothe yourself in righteousness!

Our Creator & laminin!!!

Please, please take the time to watch this video (about 8 mins.)... it is sooo worth it! We have such a creative, awesome Creator!!! Be blessed!




Also, you can google laminin.