When You Feel Hopelessness and Doom {Sabbath Bread}

"The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me
    because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
    heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
    pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
    a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies—
    and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
    give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
    a praising heart instead of a languid spirit."  
                      -Isaiah 61:1-3 (Msg)






O God, what can we say to this love that draws us to Your Son with irresistible magnetism? Nothing can separate us from this love that rescues us from our prison cells and darkest pits. When all hope is lost, You pursue us and announce Your love that brings joy and freedom. Deliver our hearts today - from every scheme and trap the devil deceives us into thinking we're stuck in hopelessly. Thank You for this restoration You offer me every day - You redeem me from the evil of this world, the attack of my enemy, the despair of my circumstances, and the sorrow of death and loss. We need your beauty to replace these ashes, Lord. Only Your love can restore our hope.

photo credit: Terry Foote via flickr creative commons

Follow - Grace in the Choice

Without Jesus and His grace I would remain a slave to sin.

He is the All-Sufficient game-changer.

Because with Him I am free. Indeed.

Free to choose, to shake off these shackles of temptation, rage, shame, and darkness. 

It was C.S. Lewis who declared:

"It is a living Man, still as much a man as you, and still as much God as He was when He created the world, really coming and interfering with your very self; killing the old natural self in you and replacing it with the kind of self He has." (Mere Christianity)

Yes, it is He who kills the carnal self, but I who must first open and surrender. I who must first ask Him to come.

God is ever giving, always pouring, constantly offering. So I suppose the question to me is, will I be a receiver? Will I take hold, or let all this grace, all these gifts, all this freedom slip through my fingers like air? Like oil. This freedom so slippery in the face of evil. Breathe. Open these hands.

And I do know that slippery oil through leaky fingers will require endless supply.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." -Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

My one word for this trip around the sun: Follow.

The word implies a choice. Every spin of the planet I have an option - I could definitely choose not to. Could very well just throw myself down on the tile and pout, or even flail and scream. I don't have to. He doesn't drag me; just walks and invites me to follow. He doesn't push me ahead of him, driving, shoving, forcing; just shows the Way and makes it clear. Makes it straight. I could likely turn around and go back. Could just as easily take a path not His. This is my choice - and will I follow Him? 

I'm thankful for His Map today. Just opening and continuing to read is often all it takes. He lights the dark and broken way, this glorious, lovely Lamp illuminating my choices.

"For crooked people are detestable to the Eternal,
    but those with integrity receive His counsel.
 His curse lingers over the wicked and their families,
    but He forever favors residence of those who do      what is right.
 God treats the arrogant as they treat others,
    mocking the mockers, scorning the scornful,
    but He pours out His grace on the humble.
 In the end, the wise will receive honor, but fools will face humiliation." - Proverbs 3:32-35 (The Voice)

So, what will it be this day, Self?

Jesus, make me full of integrity so that I might receive Your counsel; make me righteous that I would have Your favor; help me to be humble so that I will hold onto grace; show me Your wisdom so that my hands will be ready for honor. I choose these keys to freedom, these courses of action above the ways of those who follow their own way. Spirit, please keep me away from crookedness, for I would never want to be detestable in Your eyes; block wickedness from my ways because I do not want any curses on my life or my family; please help me not to be arrogant or mock others or be scornful - I don't want Your scorn; and Father, please help me not to choose folly because humiliation and shame are not my goals. I want to follow You, Jesus. And I desire above anything else to be near You, walking in Your ways and not the ways of the wicked or deceitful. You are Worthy, Lord. I need Your help, Your fresh freedom and mercy today. I choose once again to receive Your gifts and to cooperate with whatever You want to do in me. Thank You for the choice. Help me to make good ones today.

I choose, I vow to follow You.

Dear Hungry Soul {a little bird told me}

Dear Hungry Soul,

Have you been feeling broken beyond repair, shattered into a million pieces with no one to sweep you up? Abandoned in a dark pit and no one peeking down or throwing you a hope or even a rope? Starving for something more than life has put on your plate?

These words are for you:

Precious One
Could it be today?
What if it were true?
Despite what they say,
Could God really love you?

I'm here to tell you, 
In case no one ever has -
Really, God adores you.
Really, He always has.

I want to tell you more - 
All about His Son Jesus.
Though your heart may be sore
God says, "You're safe with Us."

Please accept this invitation -
bring that hungry soul to the Cross.
Let Him satisfy and fill every hole.
He'll bring you from doubt to trust.

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” -Romans 1:16-17 (NLT)

For every hungry soul, I pray He shows you every quenching answer of His loving plan of Salvation, found in grace though faith. If you wonder what hope He has for your brokenness, I encourage you to ask Him. He wants you to ask too: 

“Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” - Isaiah 7:11 (NIV)

And how about you, Dear Soul - do you want to ask a question too? Here's the invitation I give on Saturdays here in the nest: Have you ever wanted to ask a question about life, God, the Bible, relationships, people, church, or anything? (That last one is scary, but that's why I need the Holy Spirit to write through me.) Go ahead and ask me! Just slip your anonymous question into the comments section below, and sign it with a fun salutation.  I'll do some research and write back to you next week here in the nest. My answers come from the Bible, revelation from God (as He generously gives - see James 1), and personal experience. And then, when it comes up in your conversations with others, you can always say, "Well, a little bird once told me ..." *wink*

In His Hand,

Robyn 

 "The greatest joy of your heart is daily fellowship with Jesus, and you will have that same joy, yet to a greater degree, in heaven. And you will always see Him as you dwell in His presence forever." -Charles Spurgeon

photo credit: Arslan Zahid

Sabbath Bread {when you need a little guidance}

"The Lord guides us in the way we should go
    and protects those who please him.

If they fall, they will not stay down,
    because the Lord will help them up."

-Psalm 37:23-24

Sabbath Bread {perfection in great things}

"He effectively takes away the first—animal sacrifice—in order to establish the second, more perfect sacrifice. 

By God’s will, we are made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus the Anointed once and for all time.  

In the first covenant, every day every officiating priest stands at his post serving, offering over and over those same sacrifices that can never take away sin.  

But after He stepped up to offer His single sacrifice for sins for all time, He sat down in the position of honor at the right hand of God.  

Since then, He has been waiting for the day when He rests His feet on His enemies’ backs, as the psalm says. 

With one perfect offering, Jesus has perfected forever those who are being made holy ..."

- Hebrews 10:9b-14 (VOICE)

if anyone could win my heart ...

it would be Him.

When a heart has been won by a Lover like this, every day can be the honeymoon.  Full of extravagant gifts like these, how could I not be swept of my feet?

- the privilege to pray for C and D via this post - and to see Your power in heaven and all over this earth

- funny stories from the students during homeroom with Miss N

- sunshine and breezes, and all these fresh-life signs of spring; the new green leaves all over the trees, the color of lime jello

- time to watch this video and this song, and for the way her life glorifies You

- a pretty diagonal braid across T's head and over her shoulder

- a fresh awakening to repentance, and reminder that only by Your power and goodness will I be able to walk in the kind of submission that You desire (Romans 7)

- for S and A and R who rescued my phone and library book

- "[Friendship] has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival." -C.S. Lewis in The Four Loves

- waking up to bird songs and the sunrise

- a beautiful full peach moon 

- "If you will remain true to God, God will lead you directly through every barrier and right into the inner chamber of the knowledge of Himself. But you must always be willing to come to the point of giving up your own convictions and personal beliefs." -Oswald Chambers

- the opportunities You give me to point to Your glory

- K laughing on the bus with her friends

- my Guy home safe from Colorado, and watching TV on the couch with him

- a silly squirrel bounding from the top branches all the way down each branch to the ground

- for the way You work for my good - which is further intimacy and one-ness with You, and for aligning my desires and efforts and prayers to be the same (Romans 8:28 and Psalm 37:4)

- for being all the reward I desire, seek, or need. I'm so delighted in Your presence and the prize of eternal life with You (Jeremiah 45:5)

- Pooja - our new sponsored child in India! So thankful for her sweet smile!

- Chinese food lunch with Pastor DC,  and his encouragement for us to persevere in the simplicity You give

- little A in my house and her tiny voice chatting as I work as she snacks on yogurt and crackers

- the volunteer tea at school, and a treat of afternoon coffee for J and me

- Your Son and the privilege to know Him, see Him in the words of my Bible, and the joy of being Yours

- the privilege to pray for the rescue of girls trapped in slavery

- this photo and all it represents: freedom for over 100 previously trafficked slaves, 30 of whom are younger than 18. And for the brave men and women who fought and prayed to make it possible.

- for being my Father, Brother, Husband, Lover, Guide, Protector, Teacher, Best Friend - my Everything I could ever want or need. You alone complete me

Lord, I'm a hopeless romantic in Your arms. Thank You over and over - a thousand and ten thousand times - for these gifts of love. My hands are open and my heart is Yours. My gratitude is what I have to give back to You, and You've said this praise is what You desire. Along with it I offer my obedience guided and empowered by Your Spirit. Would You make my life a pleasing love offering to You, and would You guide my heart ever closer to Yours. Oh God, I'm so thankful.

{Dear One new to this nest - if you haven't heard, I count my blessings/gifts with you on Thursdays here on the blog. If you've never known the life-changing joy of gratitude, I encourage you to try it too. You can start now, and start with #1 - I did! Count all the ways God loves you with the big, small, and even ugly-beautiful gifts. For more help and encouragement along the same lines of thankful communion with the Savior, check out this too. I love you so much, I write. -R }

He was thankful for this?!

Today is a special Thankful Thursday.  To me, it is just as, if not more holy than Thanksgiving Thursday in November.  It wasn't until I moved to a predominately-Catholic region that I learned the sacredness of Maundy Thursday, but the past few years have brought a wonderful joy to my heart on this day of the year. To remember with gratitude what He did.  Is that not what every ordinance celebration of Communion should be too?

"He took the cup and gave thanks ..." -Matthew 26:27 (NLV)

Really?  He was thankful for this -

Knowing it would mean this - 

Today, again - His gratitude stuns me.

Can I have that kind of thankfulness?  What did He ask me to remember?

"These are the things we are never to forget. The love of Jesus, with its constraining power, is to be kept fresh in our memory. Christ has instituted this service that it may speak to our senses of the love of God that has been expressed in our behalf. There can be no union between our souls and God except through Christ. The union and love between brother and brother must be cemented and rendered eternal but the love of Jesus. And nothing less than the death of Christ could make His love efficacious for us. It is only because of His death that we can look with joy to His second coming. His sacrifice is the center of our hope. Upon this we must fix our faith."   -Ellen G. White in The Desire of Ages

On most Thursdays, I list several items from my gratitude journal recorded throughout the week.  Today I want to list just one.  I want to remember, like He did so many years ago - above all - gratitude for the New Deal.  He got pain, suffering, and death. I get eternity with Him and hope for today.

Oh, God - I'm so very thankful!

the other side of the coin

If prayer were a coin, one side would be the asking and the other would be the thanking. Odds are, I should be doing one as much as the other when I'm talking to Jesus.  Heads or tails ... 50-50 chance.  There lies in my minutes plenty more time for gratitude.  I request so much from God ... but do I thank Him just as much?

Found this treasure from a classic tonight - The Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White (pub. 1898)

"Our confession of His faithfulness is Heaven's chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world.  We are to acknowledge His grace as made known through the holy men of old; but that which will be most effectual is the testimony of our own experience.  We are witnesses for God as we reveal in ourselves the working of a power that is divine ... These precious acknowledgements to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christlike life, have an irresistible power that works for the salvation of souls.

When the ten lepers came to Jesus for healing, He bade them go and show themselves to the priest. On the way they were cleansed, but only one of them returned to give Him glory. The others went their way, forgetting Him who had made them whole.  How many are still doing the same thing! The Lord works continually to benefit mankind. He is ever imparting His bounties. He raises up the sick from beds of languishing He delivers men from peril which they do not see, He commissions heavenly angels to save them from calamity, to guard them from "the pestilence that walketh in darkness" and "the destruction that wasteth at noonday" (Ps. 91:6); but their hearts are unimpressed. He has given all the riches of heaven to redeem them, and yet they are unmindful of His great love.  By their ingratitude they close their hearts against the grace of God. Like the heath in the desert they know not when good cometh, and their souls inhabit the parched places of the wilderness. 

It is for our own benefit to keep every gift of God fresh in our memory. Thus faith is strengthened to claim and to receive more and more. There is greater encouragement for us in the least blessing we ourselves receive from God than in all the accounts we can read of the faith and experience of others. The soul that responds to the grace of God shall be like a watered garden. His health shall spring forth speedily; his light shall rise in obscurity, and the glory of the Lord shall be seen upon him. Let us then remember the loving-kindness of the Lord, and the multitude of His tender mercies. Like the people of Israel, let us set up our stones of witness, and inscribe upon them the precious story of what God has wrought for us. And as we review His dealings with us in our pilgrimage, let us, out of hearts melted with gratitude, declare, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all His people." (Ps. 116:12-14) "     [emphasis mine]

Again, I'm amazed at the power of gratitude.  Today I share a few of my "multitude of His tender mercies":

- the gift of compassion for my daughter, like a cool breeze to blow away the heat of my anger

- the promise of Your Spirit's powerful presence if we will lift You high, and this anticipation to feel You during corporate worship ... I feel like doing back flips!

 - "When I don't understand, I will choose You" (I breathe You in by Kim Walker-Smith)

- a new morning to choose You, Your ways, Your vision, Your gifts to me

-red roses opening wide with such brilliant glory

-the way you make a boy's shoulders to grow into a man's - and the significance of what they will bear

- the favor You give me to work 1/2 day at my kids' school, and talking about it with LC in the copy room

- vulnerable email from a friend, and the privilege to pray for her

- encouraging call from H, and the hope she'll get a job soon

- laughing with R at Panera, and the way you've brought her this far

- a good Life Group, and thinking deeply about being fully present in the now - "The only place I can meet Him is here." -Ann Voskamp

- snowflakes

- students reading and cheering for one another's rewards

- the way my Guy's arms are always open to me

- powerful tears and prayers and dreams

- "You will find that the [bad] habit absolutely dominates you because you willingly yielded to it ... But yielding to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in any person's life." -Oswald Chambers 

- When all our enemies heard the news and all the surrounding nations saw it, our enemies totally lost their nerve. They knew that God was behind this work. - Nehemiah 6:16 (Msg) 

  

Lord, once again, my gratitude rises to You in praise.  Forgive me for the countless days I close my heart against Your grace by allowing it to be unimpressed by Your gifts and permitting my thoughts to be unmindful of Your great love. That is not the way I want to honor You, because that is no way to honor You.  What I do have is an awareness of Your constant shower of goodness over me.  Goodness as You define it.  Gifts - constant and ever-present.  And, Oh Lord - I'm so thankful!  My soul knows what it is to drink of Your faithfulness because gratitude is the vessel of my noting. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.  Over and over I declare it because ... Jesus I know I don't deserve this astonishing loving-kindness.  Here now are my stones of witness.  These frail letters and lines - written for all who will give eye as I proclaim.  You are good to me.  You do love me.  Here, oh here - is proof and may I ever be mindful.  My heart is melted with my gratitude for Your benefits.

if only I could really see

I've been pondering the word perspective.  A word I've studied for a while.  It's often a matter of known need, and also a matter quite elusive.  So often I find myself crying out to God, "Show me how to look at this!"  And His often- response is, "In light of forever, does this qualify your reaction?" 

And isn't it like our Lord to answer with another question?

Of course not, Father.  Once again, I'm blowing this out of proportion like blowing up a cockroach with a grenade.


"Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over.
Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends.
The body is put back in the same ground it came from.
The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it." 
                   -Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 (Msg)

I'm learning every day how gratitude on purpose can change my perspective to really see that life is indeed a lovely series of gifts.  And also learning how this deliberate seeing, looking can help me hold the moment for all it is.  I'm nothing more than a broken vessel needing His filling regardless of what circumstance invades.  And yet ...

As big as this moment is, it's still only dust in the wind of eternity.

What matters. What really matters ... It's only what He's doing in me, through me, around me that extends like an invisible, internal scar invading into eternity.  It's only that which lasts.

"So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever." -2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (Msg)

Where is His presence? His eternal Self, come into my being?  And what is He doing there in me?  Can I use these spiritual eyes, awakened now to see?  Yes - I can and I do.  When I sing. When I slow.  When I listen.  When I thank.

Here are a few of my forever lines - that by which God has reached through time to show me His love, and in which I am filled and touched and drawn into more of His grace:

- Your comfort and healing for when my body and cells are sick, infected, sore ... and for when my heart is too

- a starry night, and reminder of Your power there in the sky

- sunlight and blue skies today and this gift of the calm before the storm

- Ecclesiastes 11:7 - yes, Your light is sweet

- "For those who can see, the world's beauty outweighs its burdens, its grace greater than its grime." -Ann Voskamp

- pure white untouched beauty of the snowfall

- that this physical pain is causing me to depend on You more today

- that You care about my feelings but You don't hold them against me

- for blessing me with such a talented daughter, and for blessing her with such confidence

- this song "Gracious fury - written in my Savior's scars.  Mercy, mercy - now engraved upon my heart."

- the family together and echoing laughter 

Lord - I'm so thankful for vision.  Your sight to see as it really is.  What is fleeting to be known by my heart as fleeting.  What is eternal - realized as such.  Why do I get them so turned around?  Confession.  I've been wrong.  My trials - not meant for focus, but blurred background.  My gifts of grace - these are what deserves the crispness of my heart's lens.  Jesus, please make it so.  Here is my focus knob - You may keep it.  Show me today once again how to really see.


And, since it is technically Friday - how about a vocabulary word and writing prompt?

emanant - emanating or issuing from or as if from a source

Freewrite for 15 minutes about a time you were mistaken about what you saw, or a time when you observed another person react from a mistaken perspective.

Happy writing, and I hope your weekend is full of His presence and the realization of His many gifts of love!

when giving gets hard ... [re-post]

This week has been ... real.  I've been spending more time with faces than with screens, and  ... I'm okay with that.  I'm still reading (so I can give you more book reviews on Mondays), still fighting (more to tell you about Anna, and the fight for freedom on Tuesdays), still learning to live radically Simple (part of the good pruning this week has been felt here in the nest, yes?), still thankful on Thursdays (and every day), and still writing - preparing more prompts and encouraging words for more Fridays ... But this week has been about faces, not screens.  Thank you for grace.

Today I have a re-post for you, though. Something to think about if you're weary (which I know many of you are - thank you for the vulnerable trust of honesty).  I don't know it all, but I do know two things from previous experiences in the pit of weary:  we can't give up, and Jesus Christ is a never-empty fountain of life.  We know the source for our re-filling.  If we keep going back to Him, we don't have to stay in the weariness pit.  Take it from one who knows.

So, without further ado ...  "when it's hard to give" [from November, 2011]:



"Sometimes it's hard to give." -Cynthia Aldrich, Missionary to Haiti as we rushed around her table at dusk trying to get the right sizes of baby clothes to mothers waiting outside her gate.

So when is it too hard to give? When do you stop giving because it gets too complicated? Is it when the people in need are starting to abuse your generosity and rely less on God and their own part? When is the moment when giving gets too difficult to keep giving?

I just want to throw this out there. Argue with me if you must.

Sometimes it's hard to give, but it's never too hard. We keep on giving.  Because we're never really as empty as we feel.  When we know the Fountain, He can always pour us full again.

It was hard for God to give. Does that shock you? Do you think it was easy for Him to give manna and quail to his whiney, gripe-y kids? You assume ease for Him to deliver His people into the land of milk and honey, defeating tribe after tribe, just so they would turn away from Him and worship the very idols He hated? You don't think God has feelings too? Think again.

In the book of Hosea, God laments the betrayal of His people as they had turned away from Him to worship other gods and had abandoned His love and plan for them. He demonstrated it through the prophet, asking Hosea to marry a prostitute as an object lesson to the people. Being the obedient man of God, Hosea took Gomer as his wife, who subsequently left him to go back to her life of sin.

" 'I will punish her for all those times when she burned incense to her images of Baal, when she put on her earrings and jewels and went out to look for her lovers but forgot all about me,' says the Lord." -Hosea 2:13 (NLT)

But God had Hosea rescue her again, proving his love for her and His love for all of us, His Bride.

" 'But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there . . . I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord.' " -vs. 19-20

God gave. And then He gave again. And then He gave some more. His people have never been thankful, really, myself included. I've trampled the Cross in disobedience and thought He would be done giving me grace. It was hard for Him, but He gave once again. His mercy is not cheap. The high price of His blood is no small trinket, rather the greatest gift ever known. And on my face before Him, He gave it again. It is in His character and nature to give and keep giving, no matter how hard it gets or how complicated people make it.

And so we should do likewise. To one another. To the poor. To missions. To the brokenhearted. To prisoners. Give, and never stop. Like Him.

Thankful on Thursday ... and every day

Gratitude and joy hold hands.

"At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, 'O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.' " - Luke 10:21 (NLT) [emphasis added]

Has God ever filled you with joy?  I hope you know this: even in the midst of everything awful, God is still loving you by pouring joyful goodness (as HE defines good, remember?) into your life through the funnel of the Holy Spirit.  It's there if you open your eyes to His grace.  In the sunrise, and in the baby's dimples, and in the Word, and  in the nuggets of hope.  If you look... it's there.  I promise.  So how does one hold on to this pouring joy?  

The same way Jesus did.  In acknowledging that God had revealed His power through the ministry of the seventy-two, Jesus received the gift God gave.  In His gratitude, He praised God, sealing the deal.  Declaration of it removed the question of whether or not God was at work and could be trusted as FAITHFUL.  His thankfulness was His grip on the joy.  Satan could not steal it once He said it that way.

Is my life composed of this kind of thanks-declaration-holding-joy too?  May it be so.  Is your life full of thanks, like Jesus's life?  It's not too late to start ... count your gifts and hold on to the joy.

Want help?  Check this out.

Once again, here are some of my declarations of thanks, recorded in my journal ... these mere etchings on paper might as well be billboards of His praise!

- doodling with R at Panera

- Don't Cry for Me by Lillian Sparks, and the perspective about the way each life is precious, and eternity is all that really matters

- ibuprofen from the nurse for my cramps

- the privilege of loving my Guy with time

- a quick hug and honest moment with T after school

- courage for a friend to walk away from a toxic relationship, and the way you bring her back into my life after so many months

-for all of this favor and all of these blessings, none of which I deserve.  It could be me in a brothel and my child in a "creshe" [more on this next week, dear Ones... stay tuned]

- amazing sea creatures on an episode on the APL channel, and Your gorgeous creation

- sweet good-night kisses from my kids, and their arms around my neck long past what I planned, but I don't want to break away either

- the way my Guy leaves love notes in my car - You gave me a loving husband, and I'm so thankful

Lord, sometimes the joy is like a flood, and sometimes life feels like an unending desert , devoid of anything happy.  But, regardless of appearances, You've taught me that joy from Your Spirit comes faithfully, if I'll see it, and that if I want to hold onto this pouring - make the liquid a graspable, solidified entity - I must say thanks.  And so I do again today.  I pray for the joy also to be poured out through me to others, and I ask for more gifts, committing back to You my vow of gratitude.  Thank you for GOOD gifts of grace.  Jesus I love you so much.

Thursdays are for Thanks ...

Had a busy morning in my son's library class today, followed by a good cry with a friend over injustice, back to work, run to the store for jumper cables because my one of my kids (no one knows the blame - it's not important) left the door open in the car in the garage [but who can jump a car in a one-car garage?], cook dinner, clean up, take K to cheer, fold laundry, play legos with J ... and it's still Thursday, and I'm still thankful.  Even for all of that! All of it grace.  All of it full of gifts - hidden, obvious, comfortable, and difficult.  From the Father who gives lights and bread, never snakes or stones.  Because He loves me.  Just. That. Much.

Here are a few I've recorded.  (Still haven't started counting yours? ... Today's a great day to try, and what have you got to lose, when this or maybe even a camera [!] is what you could gain?)

- a fresh new day, gorgeous sunrise, and the healing power of sleep and Your love

-Your words and instructions - life and healing for my soul and body (Proverbs 4:20, 22)

- playing backgammon with my Guy, and a good talk together

- snuggles, hugs, and prayers with J.  I'll never get tired of this...

- news of a reuniting phone call between mother and son after over two years

-  "I would rather know the truth than be happy in ignorance.  If I cannot have both truth and happiness, give me truth.  We'll have a long time to be happy in heaven." -A.W. Tozer

-  my Guy's sermon [1/6/13] about Matthew 18, and reconciliation's definition of exchanging hostility for friendship

-  Psalm 91, and courage to face the world fearless

-  for being the father I need, and for coming to find me, even before I knew who You were

-  "When a man gets to God, it is by the most simple way - words."  - Oswald Chambers

-  time to exercise, vacuum, and read

-  steam rising from Export Creek in the early sunlight, wafting over the snow-covered banks

-  secret letters in a notebook with my daughter

-  RJ's vote of confidence and faith:  "And you have me!" ... laughter is such wonderful medicine, Sweet Father.  Thank You, Oh Thank You.

-  two little brunettes at the library, and a tiny baby too

-  a feeling of productivity, even though I didn't accomplish everything on my to-do list.  Jesus, Your agenda is always better than mine.

-  encouraging verses from R, strength to keep my chin up  ^"But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) -Ephesians 2:4-5


Lord - just ... thanks. You sustain my heart when I don't think it can break one more painful time.  When these tears threaten to dry into a calloused soul, Your living water fills me up again.  Your love amazes me and I love counting the ways because I feel like I'm somehow loving you back.  Didn't I once preach about that?  And this, a few years later - living it.  I'm so grateful for every ounce of Your love, and I want to hold onto it.  This gratitude is the strength of my grip on it.  If I thank You, how could it ever slip though my fingers, for I have a written record of the ways You've given me undeserved grace day after day.  You deserve every glory.  Once again, it is You alone who are worthy. 


thank you, National Geographic, for many of these photos of birds

Book Review Monday: The Cure

The Cure What if God isn't who you think He is and neither are you 

by John Lynch, Bruce McNicol, and Bill Thrall

On the cover of this book is a snake.  He creeps between the R and the E in the title, and you might think it says CURSE if you glance.  

I don't remember how I stumbled across this title, but I do know that when it comes to books, a good stumble can lead to an amazing fall.

When a non-fiction starts with an engaging parable, I'm almost always sucked in.  The first few pages of  The Cure are reminiscent of The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson, following one journeyman along the path of life, pursuing the call of his heart.  What I really love about this character is --- he is really me.  And probably you too. He's on the road when he finds a fork. Trusting God lies on one side of the sign, and on the other reads Pleasing God.  Which will he choose?  Which would you?

The parable woven throughout follows him to the Room of Good Intentions, retracing his steps, and eventually to the Room of Grace, though he doesn't stay there either.  Breaking into the parable (in italics) with prose, the authors open our theology and traditions to explore just what the subtitle asks, following through exquisitely with the intrigue promised on the cover (which is more than I can say of other book stumbles I've taken).

We discover through both the parable and the narration that our understanding of God's identity and character may not be true-to-form.  "There are two gods: the one we see through our shame, and the One who actually is."  The other predominant theme throughout is that of our identity - the identity of the Christ-follower.  Who we are, as HE defines us, will revolutionize our lives when we receive the grace of this truth, and the truth of this grace.  It reminded me of another life-changing book I read just last year: Victory Over the Darkness by Neil Anderson.  God's Grace defines me.  

Some of my favorite quotes from the book: (and really, I had a hard time narrowing this down.  I think I practically wore out the underline key on my kindle while reading this book!)

"I will—each of us will—be tempted to return to my mask each time I lose the confidence of my new identity."

"Only now, because it was about God, the stakes were higher. I represented something other than just me, and the pressure was greater. Much greater. Soon, I was back to trying to impress a God I imagined was growing more and more impatient with me.  I learned to bluff, manipulating and managing my persona to appear better than who I feared I was.  No one told me this two-faced life would severely stunt my growth."

“The goal is not to change me. I’m already changed. The goal is to mature. When I depend on the new creature I’ve been made into through the work of Jesus at the cross, I begin to live healthier, more free of sin, more free to love. I learn to believe all His power, love, truth, and goodness already exists in me, right now. Even on my worst day.”

"This life in Christ is not about what I can do to make myself worthy of His acceptance, but about daily trusting what He has done to make me worthy of His acceptance."

"We call it [the Control Cycle] because it is what happens when we believe we can control our lives. And control our sin."

This is what I was referring to when I wrote my response on Friday.  Really, I do nothing to earn acceptance or perform as a Christian.  It is all cooperation with God in and through me, because He is the Savior and I am His beloved rescued one.  I can't muster this.  I can't control it.  He is both the Author and the Finisher of my faith.

Also, a family member said he enjoyed The Cure a lot, and thought it was quite a bit to think about.  Though he was slightly more critical of the writing style and thought some of it was difficult to follow, we had a great conversation about it, and he might even read it again.  A friend who claims not to be "a reader" took my recommendation, likes it so far, and says this is one she wants to finish.  See what others are saying too.

My favorite chapter in the book was probably Two Healings (5), in which the authors illuminated THE MOST thorough, well-defined, and theologically sound explanation of healing-forgiveness I've read.  I'm not exaggerating when I say the globe would be different if humanity (or at least the Church) would love God and one another and ourselves this way. 

"At the core, we’re just learning to trust and depend on our new identity. We’re learning to live out of who God says we are on our worst day. So a statement like ‘It’s less important that anything gets fixed, but that nothing is hidden’ is an example of living out of our new identity. It’s a realization that sin finds its power when I hide. That nobody gets ‘fixed.’ That we’ve already been changed and now get to mature into who we already are. We’re starting to discover that this new power is released when we trust it—when I’m safe enough to tell the worst about myself to someone else. See, that's what we're learning to do here. We want to get close enough, be safe and trusted enough, that when that moment comes where God reveals something hard to face, we won't have to run and hide."

Happy reading, Friends.  I hope to have another good one for you next week!  What have you been reading lately?