Going Through the Refining Process Again

My favorite Bible Verse is Romans 8:28, “All things work for good to those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose”.  In life, everything we go through is not good or happy.  Everyone faces times of trial and testing.  No one escapes the ups and downs of life.  Life happens, we respond to life, but we must remember that God created life.  Our existence is a journey in time.  At the end of our physical lives our spirits will move on to another dimension.  We are spiritual beings on a physical journey.  In the scriptures, God promises that those who know Him will return to Him.  He is our creator; the One who gave us life.  We have met Him but realize that His ways are mysterious.  Ecclesiastes 11:5 says, “God’s ways are as hard to discern as the pathways of the wind, and as mysterious as a tiny baby being formed in his mother’s womb”.  We don’t have to understand the why’s of things we face; we just have to hold on to the giver of our life when He allows us to go through the circumstances of our physical existence.  When we know Him, we do not walk the road alone.  He will guide, direct, and walk with us through the happy and difficult times.  There is no perfect person; there is no perfect life.  In addition to life happening, we have been given free will and choices to make.  All of our choices have consequences.  Our genetics, our days, and our choices develop our character and belief system. 

God wants our bodies to be healthy.  He wants our minds to learn and develop in wisdom and understanding.  His primary concern is that we come to Him in spirit and in truth.  He wants our spirits to grow in our relationship with Him.  He wants us to know who He is.  He wants our spirits to mature.  He wants us to grow in the knowledge of the truth that our final destination will be back in His presence.  He gives us His gift of faith but it is up to us to receive and grow in His gift by reading and studying His Word.  He does not want us to just know about Him; He wants us to know Him personally as our Lord, Savior, and friend.  He is Holy.  When we recognize His Holiness we want to come into His presence in worship and praise glorifying His Holy name.

Psalm 66 tells us that God wants to grow and refine our spirits.  We read in verses 8 through 10, “Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.  For you, O God tested us; you refined us like silver".  I think of my friend Heidi when I read this Psalm.  The words were such an encouragement to her as she traveled through her trial with ovarian cancer.  God spoke to her through His word.  She knew that He was with her.   She read in verses 16 through 20 that He heard her prayers and saw her tears.  His Spirit was alive and real in her spirit and she could say, “no matter where this trial leads me, I will praise the Lord”.  Heidi did not win her physical battle but she did win her spiritual battle.  God refined her spirit and brought her back home to himself at the end of her physical life. 

James 1: 2-4 gives us more insight into why God allows trials in our lives.  He says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”.

1Peter 1: 6 and 7 tells us that through faith we are shielded by God’s power. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith, of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus is revealed”. 

It is in our trials that we prioritize our lives.  God molds our spirits.  He is the potter, we are the clay.  We read about this analogy in Jeremiah 18.  We are precious to God.  Because we are more precious than silver or gold He tells us that He is in the process of refining our lives in the fires of life’s trials.  Precious metals are refined by fire and so are we.

Traveling Through Trials

Life is a physical journey which takes us from birth until death.  During our time on earth we also go through a mental and spiritual journey.  I am body, mind, and spirit.  All three have aged.  Education, study, and life experiences have grown my mind.  Intellect, wisdom, and control of our emotions come with learning and mental maturity.   Our bodies change as we journey through each stage of life.  I am grateful to have seen 71 years.  My spirit, the essence of who I am, resides within my physical body.  It also grows and changes over the years.  Dependent infants or young children have very self centered awareness’s of their own needs.  Children have to be taught to behave and to be aware of the needs of others.  Their spirit broadens from self to include being aware of the needs and feelings of Mom, Dad, siblings, and other people in their lives.

Do we have to work at growing healthy bodies, minds, and spirits?  Most of us know about the things which we should strive to do to keep our bodies and minds strong and healthy.  We seem to be less aware of taking care of our internal spirits; of our character and of who we are on the inside.   Life and age should make us increasingly aware of whom we are in relationship to others and to God, our creator.  God is interested in our total being but He is most interested in growing us from the inside out rather than the other way around. 

Our physical looks and attributes are genetic.  Our internal spirit develops and grows as we live life.  Good and bad circumstances effect our spiritual development.  When we encounter kind loving and caring people in our lives it is easier to be kind and loving.  Hateful, uncaring, and hurtful or detached relationships can result in the development of poor self images, unforgiving hearts, and angry depressed spirits. 

Believing in the One True God, or choosing not to believe in God, develops who we are or who we become on the inside.  God has a purpose for each of our lives.  Many times, the only time we come to seek, accept, and understand what He wants for us is when we face disappointments, losses, or trials in our lives.  We ask ourselves and God, “What is life all about?”  Now that He has our attention, He can begin to convict and grow our spirit because now we are listening.  Refusing to believe prevents God from teaching us because He cannot give His Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit to an unbelieving spirit, a closed heart.  He convicts ones heart.  Then the convicted spirit can choose to accept God and believe, or not.  The person has the free will to refuse God’s invitation and continue life being directed by his or her own natural spirit.  But, God will not stop knocking on the door to our hearts and spirits.  He wants us to abide in Him and Him in us so He can grow and guide us by His Spirit for His purpose and His abundance in our lives.    

It was during the months and years after the death of my daughters, Elisa and Carrie, that God’s Spirit came to my spirit powerfully.  I had always known God and was a believer but now I felt His presence.  The Holy Spirit’s Gifts of the Spirit began to grow within my spirit.  In James 1: 2 and 3 I read that the testing of my faith develops perseverance so that God can finish His work.  He can mature and complete my faith.  In Hebrews 12: 10 and 11, 1 Peter 4: 15 and 16, James 1: 4, and 2 Corinthians 12: 7, God tells us that the trials we face are ultimately for our good.   This is hard to see while one is in the middle of the trial or storm.  This is where faith and hanging in there, endurance, makes the difference in our ultimate spiritual growth or lack there of.  As a believer, when I am weak God is strong within me.   Trials do not have to steal my joy.  They bring the power of God to me and my weakness opens the flow of God’s strength into me. 

I know, because the Word tells me, that God allows trials, suffering, and pain to come into our lives.  God’s own Son, Jesus, experienced suffering.  God sent Him to suffer for each of us.  How can we expect to go through life without some kind of suffering?  It is in our suffering that we find a deeper walk with the Savior.  Our spirit decreases and His Spirit increases within us.  This is how our spirit grows.  Jesus gave us His Holy Spirit when He went back to The Father.  He teaches us through His sufferings.  He walks with us in and through our own earthly sufferings.  He understands.  We are never walking through our valleys alone.  He travels our trials with us.  In our sufferings we endure, we keep on, we learn, we grow, and we meet the Lord in a deeper dimension.  He fills our spirit with His Holy Spirit.  The Bible tells us that we come through it as gold and now glorify God in our lives.  Our spirit has been more perfected and now it reflects Him. 

As an Oncology Nurse, I took care of patients in many stages of suffering.  I experienced the positive responses of patients and families as I shared the words from Romans 8: 17 with them.  Romans 8 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.  Spirits were lifted when I pointed out the verse in God’s Word telling us that if we share in Christ’s suffering we will also share in His Glory.  In verses 17 and 18 Paul writes, “if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together; For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us”.  What a wonderful promise!

I want my spirit to grow in Christ.  I pray that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit will be glorified in my life.  

Looking Back so I Can Move Forward

I originally started my Blog, annasfaith.blogspot.com in January 2010.  I had recently watched the movie, Julia Julia.  The Julia of the story decided to set a goal she was determined to keep.  She loved to cook and was a follower and admirer of Julia Child.  She decided to systematically execute one of Julia Child's recipes daily for a year and blog about the recipe and the outcome each day for 365 days.  As I thought about this in my quiet time with the Lord I told Him I wanted to write about my faith.  My initial reason was to put the thoughts about my faith into written words to be shared with my grandsons in the future.  Trevor and Hunter were about 4 and 6 years old at the time.  I want them to know and love the Lord like I do.  I can read Bible Stories and sing Bible songs with them but I want them to know their grandmother’s personal story.  I want them to read my own words about my individual faith journey.  Faith is contagious and my grandchildren are my legacy.  I pray for them, my family members, and all whom I love; daily.

      

I want them to know what I believe.  I want them to know what I have learned in my faith walk.  And I want them to know about the situations in my life which have affected my spiritual growth.  There will come a day when each one of my grandsons will have to choose for them selves what they believe.  I can just tell them about my faith.  Their faith and choices will be their own.  Now in 2013, I have four grandsons so my reasons for doing this have multiplied.  Harrison is 18 months old and little Brooks was just born.  They are such blessings in my life and I am so grateful to God for my daughters, son-in-laws, and grandsons.

My Blog has become so much more than its original intent.  Writing down my thoughts has deepened my spiritual insights.  Writing about God’s Word has helped me to learn and remember God’s Word.  My faith and spiritual understanding have grown.  My Blog gives me the opportunity to share my faith with many others.  I maintain the continued hope that my faith writings will be read by my grandsons in the future.

This year has been a busy one.  Richard and I have been re-doing the entire upstairs in our Layton home.  Everything has been topsy-turvy.  I do not work well when things are in disarray.  I need quiet time and space when I think, study, and write so I have not been writing as faithfully as in the past.  We now have a little reprieve.  We came to Pennsylvania to be with Christa and Kris for the baby’s birth and will be here through the Holidays.  In the beginning of September I started a second Blog, lifeinthelightoftheword.blogspot.com  In this Blog, I read, study, and write about one Bible verse.  I have tried to do this shorter blog about 5 days each week.  I would encourage readers to read each Bible verse with me.  I want your faith to grow with mine.  I am writing this update on annasfaith.blogspot.com to make followers aware of my newer posts on the new site.  Both sites are connected if you go to the first and click on my profile.  My thoughts and prayers are with all who join me in my Bible Verse Blog.  Let us Live in the Light of The Word!        

Adding to My Faith Journey Thoughts

I have slowed down on my postings this year.  I do want to continue sharing my “Anna’s Faith Journey” thoughts.  I continue to study God’s Word, fellowship and worship with other believers, give financially to the Lord’s work, pray for family and friends, and spend quiet time with the Lord and in His Word.  I thank God for His blessings and favor in my life. 

I love to teach and I love to write.  I have been given the gift of faith.  Each of us is given different gifts and abilities.  God wants us to use the gifts which we were given.  I love to care for others.  This gift led me into my nursing career.  In my chosen profession I could give of myself and honor God as He used me in the lives of those I cared for.  I love taking care of my family.  I love children.  My children are grown but I am so grateful that my daughters and son-in-laws have given me grandchildren.  They are so very precious.  God used me to teach Sunday School and Vacation Bible School for many years.  For the past two summers I have taught VBS again and loved it.  I want to be where God leads me and I want to be available to be used by Him.

In my morning quiet time on September 9^th I know I heard God’s Spirit speak to my spirit saying, “teach others what I teach you”.

The thoughts continued.  I know that:

When we are loved……We are to love

When we are taught…...We are to teach

When we are given……We are to give

When we are blessed….We are to be a blessing

We are to pass on what has been given to us by sharing, multiplying, spreading, and making contagious by reaching outside of ourselves.

The words in the Bible have become alive to me.  I only wish I could share the wisdom I have been taught with the people I know and love.  I especially want to share the wisdom in the bible with my grandsons.  I have started another Blog.  I have named it, “Life in the Light of the Word”.  I will take a Bible Verse and write about what that one verse means to me.  I want each posting to be short as I try to share how that verse applies to my life or what it is teaching me.  I pray for wisdom and for God to light up the verses which I read so He can shine through them into your life.

I want to be obedient.  I want the light of God’s word to be reflected in and through my imperfect life.  I am just the vessel.  He is the Light!     

Hebrews 10 Written on my Heart and Placed in my Mind

As I dozed on the living room couch waiting for the coffee pot to finish brewing my eagerly awaited cup of morning coffee the words “Hebrew 10: 11” came to my mind.  The thought was very clear.  I knew that I had to read that verse and find out what God wanted me to learn.  I reached for my bible even before getting my first cup of coffee.  I opened the New Testament to Hebrews 10.  Verse 11 didn't make much sense in and of itself so I put it into its context by reading the verses before, after, and then the entirety of Hebrews 10.  I know that Hebrews 11 is called the faith chapter.  Hebrews 10 prefaces the examples of the faithful lives recorded in Hebrews 11. 

Hebrews 10 showed me that God established the second as He took away the first.  Hebrews 9:26 says that God appeared to the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.   Hebrews 10:9 and 10 tell us that once and for all we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. Christ said to God, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God”.  God, through His redemptive plan, His Son’s death and resurrection, took away the first, the Law, to establish the second, GRACE through Christ.

In the first, in the Old Testament, “the priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins”, Hebrews 10:11.  In the New Covenant, the second, Christ gave His life once and for all to bear the sins of many.  I could picture the "ark of the covenant of Yahweh".  The people could only approach the Holy of Holies up to the veil which separated them from the Holy of Holies where only the priest could enter.  For sin atonement the people would come back year after year to offer their sacrifices of bulls and goats.  It was a temporary atonement.  The people still had the consciousness of their sins and knew they would have to return in the future to repeat their sacrifices over and over again. 

Hebrews 10: 19 and 20 gave me a new understanding of the veil of the Ark of the Covenant.  As God’s people, we now have the boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, “By a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil that is His flesh”.  My opened spiritual eyes could see the veil of the covenant being rendered in two as Christ’s body hung on the cross rendering all other sacrifices powerless to atone for our sins.  His flesh IS that Veil which now makes us able to come directly to the Father, entering into the Holy of Holies through Christ.  This was God’s plan all along.  The law and sacrifices, “having a shadow of the good things to come” could never permanently erase our sins.  In verse 7 Christ said, “Behold, I have come - in the volume of the book it is written about Me - to do Your will, O God”.  God’s plan of redemption is seen throughout the Old Testament, the book which Christ is referring to.  Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament and reading about fulfilled prophesies increases and grows my faith.  Knowing biblical history and learning about the lives of the people in the Old Testament help to give me a better understanding of who God is, what his promises are, and how He is directing my life.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

Jesus Christ is the final sacrifice, the final atonement for our sins.  Ephesians 2:8 tells us that “It is by Grace that we are saved, through faith, and not of ourselves; it is the gift of God”.  Christ has set us free from the law and our own works.  We could never be good enough or offer enough of our own sacrifices to atone for our own sins.  Christ IS God’s plan.  In God’s mercy, Jesus’ life was sacrificed for us on the Cross of Calvary.  By God’s Grace alone are we saved when we believe.  The Holy Spirit teaches us and convicts our hearts.  We do have free will.  We have to choose to believe and receive God’s gift of faith.  Romans 10: 9 thru 13 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, ‘whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame’.  For there is no distinction between Jew or Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  ‘For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’.”

Call on Him.  He will hear you.  You will never be the same.  Christ has done it all.  All you have to do is choose to believe.  Your faith will go from a head knowledge to a heart knowledge.  You will be made new as the Holy Spirit fills you with His love, peace, and joy.  Just say, “yes I believe”, the Spirit will do the rest.  As we read in Romans, you must tell someone of your decision.  Confess with your mouth what you believe in your heart and you will experience God’s gift of Faith and Salvation. 

I know that God gave me this message today.  He knows who reads my blog.  I want Him to use me to sow His seeds into someone’s life.  The rest is between you and God.  He will help you to grow in wisdom and understanding.  I am excited about what God can do and will do in each of our lives.  May we all grow spiritually as we continue on our individual faith journeys.  We are part of the “Family of God” and we are children of The King.  We enter into His Kingdom the moment we believe.  In His Kingdom our spiritual ears and eyes are opened and we see life more completely; not just as we did when only in the physical world system.  Physically, we live in the world but spiritually we enter into a greater understanding and deeper dimension in our life when God is a part of who we are.  Let us live in anticipation of what the Father will be doing in each of our lives as we grow in Christ and are led by the Holy Spirit.          

Worshipping God and Fellowshipping with Other Christians

I attend church each Sunday to come before my Creator in worship and praise.  I look forward to being with other believers who get together in one accord, with one mindset, for a unified purpose.  We gather together to meet with our Savior and other Christians to worship God together in song, prayer, statement of faith, and in offering of ourselves and our gifts.  I come to learn about God and His Word, the Bible.  The more I learn, the more my faith grows, and the closer I come into relationship with my Lord.

I have had a relationship with God from childhood.  I have never attended church because of a sense of obligation or because I had to go.  I have always loved going to church.  I meet God there but when I am unable to go, for one reason or the next, God does not condemn me with a sense of guilt for not meeting Him there.  He knows my heart and meets me where I am. 

My physical life is a journey and so is my spiritual life.  I am not the same person physically that I was 70 years ago.  I am also not the same as I was spiritually as a child.  My spiritual journey has progressed from a spiritual birth and baby faith into a mature ever growing faith in God; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  I want to continue to know God better and to have a deeper relationship with Him.  I want to study His Word so I can apply His promises to my life and I can be ready to meet Him in eternity.  Nothing is more important to me than knowing and loving God.  I pray continually for those I love, especially each member of my family.  I want them to see and experience His love and His plan for their lives.  I pray for His blessings over their lives daily.  His love is forever.  The things of this world are temporary. 

The Church is the family of God, the collection of believers throughout the world.  We attend many denominations and have different ways of expressing and practicing the one Christian faith in the one and only true God.  We believe that the Bible is God’s Word.  We believe that God’s plan of redemption, seen throughout the Old and New Testaments, is only by His grace and through His Son, Jesus Christ, the long awaited Messiah. 

As I look back over my spiritual journey I can see how God used many experiences, people, and church denominations in my growth.  When filling out a form asking for my religion, I always say Christian.  I do not answer with a denomination.  In America we do have the option to choose to worship in a certain church or denomination.  We are fortunate.  Many Christian believers in other parts of the world have to go “underground” to come together in Christian worship.  Let us not take this freedom for granted.  Let us pray for our Christian family throughout the world; our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I was brought to God in infant Baptism in the Methodist Church.  As a teenager, I grew and received Christ at confirmation after a two year study course at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.  Richie, our girls, and I belonged to and grew in our spiritual walks at St Luke Lutheran Church on Long Island for almost 25 years.  I taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School in the Lutheran Church and in the Methodist Church.  I also taught Vacation Bible School in a Pentecostal Church, the Church of God, which I attended for a few years.  My faith grew.  I studied the word as I taught children about God, about His Word, and about the gift of faith.

I have many believing, spirit led, family and friends who worship God in various denominations.  I have had to move on from a few churches during my journey because I was not being fed or I felt that their doctrine or preaching was not scriptural.  God gives us the gift of discernment to help us know the truth so that we are able to go to a church and sit under a pastor or priest who preaches the word and is able to help the congregation grow spiritually.  I would give this advice, “move on if you are not being fed”.  When one’s heart is convicted by the Holy Spirit we must always be moving forward in our faith; not standing still, and definitely not moving backwards.  My faith is not dependent on a church or denomination or on any other individual.  My faith and personal Christian growth is dependent on God alone.  God’s grace is sufficient in my life, in my discernment, and in my Christian walk.  I go to church to fellowship with other believers, to be instructed in the word, to worship and praise God, to please God, and to be a witness to those who are watching how I live.  Going to church, attending bible studies, and teaching others, have been and continue to be very important in my life and in my Christian walk.  I read in Hebrews 10:25, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near”.  May God be glorified in my life and in His Church; the family of God in our country and throughout the world. 

Every Life is a Timeline

I am journeying on an earthly timeline.  My timeline has intersected the timelines of countless individuals as I travel through life.  The longer I live, the more people crisscross my personal timeline.  A short life, used by God for His purpose, can affect many more lives than an older person who for one reason or another has been isolated.  Long or short, each of our lives affects someone else’s life. 

I loved the book, “The Five People you Meet in Heaven”.  Mitch Albom’s character, Eddie, realizes the unseen connections of his earthly life when he dies and arrives in heaven.  On earth he felt as if he was living a meaningless life.  In heaven he could look back and see how his life’s path was changed and redirected by the encounters he had with five people.  Eddie could not see the significance of the timelines of the five people who intersected his own earthly timeline until the meaning of these connections was made clear in eternity.   

Sometimes we are able to see the way we have affected the lives of others or see how a word or action from another has changed our own life’s direction; for better or for worse.  As I look back, I can think of specific people, specific situations, specific times, and specific words which have impacted my life’s direction.   The input of a high school guidance counselor, a nurse, and a pastor along my way helped lead me in the direction of the nursing profession which I love; a profession in which I was able to be used by God in the lives of many.  Sometimes seeds are sown or paths are intersected leaving no awareness of how a life has been touched, changed, or redirected.  

God has a plan for my life.  God has given me family, friends, acquaintances, and chance meeting individuals.  I have been touched by and have touched each of them.  Some intersections are insignificant while others impact our lives.  One life becomes a little bit of the other. 

Faith is a gift.  With this gift comes responsibility.  I am responsible for how I live my life, how I treat others, and for the choices I make.  I cannot change others.  I can only change myself, change how I react in a given situation, or change how I react in response to others.  Our choices develop our character and our character, which we are, leads us into our destiny and can touch the destiny of those put in our path by God.

I have chosen to believe.  I have chosen to follow Christ.  He is my Savior.  I will continue seeking a closer walk with God and letting the Holy Spirit grow my spirit to be more like Christ.  My spirit and faith grow as I seek a deeper walk and as He gives me the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  The fruits of the Holy Spirit will manifest themselves in my spirit.  They are: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22 and 25) “If we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit”.  Christ wants us to be a reflection of His Spirit.  He wants His Spirit and His gifts to shine through us.  He wants our spirits, our lives, and our timelines, to intersect with others making a positive difference in their lives.  He wants us to be His eyes, ears, hands, feet, and mouth.  He will show us what needs to be done or said.  He gives us spiritual discernment.  We must boldly allow the power of the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us.  I want to be God’s vessel.  This cannot be accomplished by my own works or abilities.  I can be His vessel only by His grace as I make myself available to be used.  I do not seek personal praise for doing God’s work.  Christ saves us for good works, not by good works.  God will be glorified in and through my life as I live my life for Him.   I will trust, obey, and shine for Him.

My faith, a gift from God, is an action word.  My faith increases as I seek a closer and more intimate walk with God.  I hear His voice in my spirit and He has taught me to trust Him.  As I trust Him I want to please Him by being obedient.  My actions and words do not have to be understood by those “in the world”.  I know that ultimately how I act, what I say, and the choices I make must honor God.  My words and actions do not have to please others or myself in a self-righteous way.  I am “in Christ”.  My authority is in Christ and in His word.  I must speak and act with a humble spirit. 

I live in quiet obedience.  I am in constant communion with my creator.  My prayers are two way conversations.  Christ is my King but He is also my friend.  I am never alone.  He guides my actions and my words.  I am truly sorry when I fall short of being obedient.   I do not always operate in the gifts of the spirit; I loose my patience, I fail to see someone in the spirit of love, I loose control, or I say something which I regret saying.  We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

 Lord, I ask for your forgiveness and your grace in my life.  I give you all of the glory for the path life has taken me over my 71 years.  All things have and continue to work for good because I love you and I am called according to your purpose (Romans 8:28).  I ask that you make me aware of the needs of others.  Use me where you place me.  Give me spiritual boldness as I let the Holy Spirit lead me in Spirit and in Truth.  I expect that you will continue to work in and continue to direct my life.  I live in anticipation of what you will be doing in my life and how you will touch the lives of those who cross my path, my timeline, today and each day until I leave this worldly existence for eternity.  Thank you.  To God be the glory.  Amen 

Divine Purpose and Personal Discipline Determine Destiny

Each of us is the sum total of our heritage via our genes and the exposure and reaction to our environment and circumstances.  Our choices put us on a path.  God has a purpose for my life.  I have free will to make good and bad choices. 

God is sovereign.  His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8).  On this side of eternity we know in part, some day we will know the fullness of His plans and the extent of His love (1 Corinthians 13:9). 

What is God’s plan for my life? What is my purpose?  How does God want me to live so that I can be a reflection of Him?  In 2 Corinthians 3:16-18, Paul writes to believers saying, “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the veil is taken away.  Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, He gives freedom.  And all of us (Christians) have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord.  As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more”. As a believer the veil of the unseen has been lifted from my eyes revealing truth.  I study the word and practice God’s presence in my life by talking to Him and by coming to Him in praise and worship not just on Sundays but daily.

God is Holy.  When we are saved, we are justified, we start a process of sanctification, and God is glorified in our lives.  All is accomplished by God’s grace, not by our own good works.  We are saved FOR good works not BY our good works.  As a Christ follower, it does matter how we live.  The words we utter and the way we act matters.  We represent our Savior.  He wants the best for His children and we should want the best for ourselves.  We should look our best, speak our best, do our best, and be our best.  We should have realistic goals knowing that we can never be perfect.

Romans 10:8-15 says,“ ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim:  If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.  As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.’  For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’.”

Living a disciplined life affects our destiny.  Our health, our life styles, our decisions, and our relationships are all impacted by our choices.  The words we say, the habits we have, the food we eat, activities we take part in, the way we dress, the rest we get, and the people we associate with all influence who we are and what we can become.  They put us on our destiny’s path.  As parents and grandparents we must help our children make good life choices.  Every choice we make as a child or as an adult has consequences which impact our lives and destiny for good or for bad, in the present or in the future.

Convict me Lord; in the Power of Love

I want to walk in love.  I want my spirit to decrease as the Lord’s Spirit within me increases.  Recently, I have been spending quiet time reflecting on my life, my faith, my love, and on my interaction with those whom I love.   

In church today, I came to God in worship and in praise.  As I prayed, worshiped, and was instructed in the Word; I asked God to cleanse me, purify me, and sanctify me.  God is my source.  His grace is sufficient.  God is in control.  I must practice “Letting go and letting God”.  It is Mother’s Day.  I am a wife, a mother, and a grandmother and I am so grateful for all of those titles.  Lord, I am yours; my family is yours.  As I prayed, I asked for wisdom and for God to use me as His vessel in the lives of others.  I asked Him to help me to know when to speak or to be silent.  I want the Holy Spirit to do His work through my life as I interact with those I love.  Our earthly lives are temporary and our children are on loan to us.  They belong to God first.  This is a lesson I learned many years ago.   Our first child, Elisa Lynn, was born on May 11, forty three years ago.  I went into labor on Mother’s Day.  Memories flood my mind.  She was given to us for nine years to love and to care for.  I treasure my children and my grandchildren.  I pray for and lift up a blessing for each one by name daily.  I know that God’s hand is upon them.  He knew them while yet in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5).  God has a plan for each of their lives and for my life (Jeremiah 29:11). 

When a family and children are young, God expects a mother to care for, guide, teach, and protect her children.  It is a role that has to change as children grow.  I am a protective mother but have tried not to be an over protective one.  I do believe in absolutes and accountability.  A parent’s role is to help mold a child into a meaningful adult of worth; a person able to care for himself and able to love and care for others.  I am so very proud of my adult daughters.  My mother taught me, by example, to be a mother.  My daughters have given me grandsons.  In the future my grandchildren will look back at the examples given to them by their parents as they pass on the values which they have learned to the next generation, to their children.  I marvel at the circle of life.  I do realize my significance in that circle but also realize that I shouldn't feel overly essential.  In young families, mothers try to keep things orderly and must have some kind of control.  Sometimes it is a hard thing to let that role diminish and realize that one has to let go of the once secure sense of control.  That is where “letting go and letting God” comes in.  I can let go because I do know that God is on the Throne and He is in control of my life and of theirs.  I pray a lot!

I must change as my needs and the circumstances of my life change.  I don’t have control over changing circumstances or have any control over how others react or act.  I can only take charge of my own actions and reactions; what I say, don’t say, do, or don’t do.  I ask the Lord to convict my heart so I choose to do what is right.  We all are, at times, ambushed by remarks that put us on the defensive.  Both Richie and I can be too sensitive to what we perceive to be the motive behind a remark, correction, or statement.  We also have the habit of finishing each others sentences.  My heart has been convicted.  I will work on being less emotionally sensitive and defensive.  I will be a better listener and let people finish their own sentences.  I do realize that after almost 49 years of marriage Richie and I know what each other are thinking and going to say.  I don’t want that to change but I ask the Lord to let me know how to choose when to speak, when to be silent, what to say, or what not to say.  

Lord, help me to be still, be calm, be present, be supportive, be accepting, be loving, and be forgiving.  The fruit seeds of God’s Holy Spirit are planted in us when we are born of the spirit; born again.  These seeds do not become fully ripe fruits immediately.  Seeds have to germinate and grow.  These seeds of the spirit mature as our faith matures.  Our faith matures as we study God’s Word.  “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. (Romans 10:17)  These fruits become mature when we start operating in the Gifts of the Spirit so that others can see these gifts in our lives.  I strive to live the way God wants me to live.  1Corinthians 13 tells us that now we know in part.  In our human bodies we cannot fully understand or be perfect as Christ was perfect.  Operating in the gifts of the spirit, as listed in Galatians 5:22, is living in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  It is a process which happens on our faith journey as we are cleansed, filled, and sanctified.  We are to live in faith, hope, and love.  Verse 13 from 1Corinthians 13 tells us that the greatest of these is love.  God is love and we must live in His love and let that love overflow from us into the lives of others.  Jesus told us in Luke 10:27 and Matthew 22:36-40 that loving God and loving others is the greatest commandment.

God has a good and perfect plan for me.  I choose to listen and be corrected so that I may grow in my faith and in the gifts of the spirit.  The greatest of these is love.  I love the Lord and I love my family.  Lord, help me to operate in love. 

Legacy of Faith and Thanksgiving

In the Old Testament, the Lord instructed His children, the Israelites saying, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord, our God 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 upon 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” (Deuteronomy 6: 4-7).  I am an imperfect person and an imperfect parent.  I serve a perfect God who can work through me to teach my children and others when I am obedient.  He lives within me.  He teaches me.  He fills me with His spirit and gives me wisdom.  He is the Living Water in my life.  In order to be filled with His Living Water I must learn more about Him, study the Word, talk to Him in prayer, praise Him, worship Him, and be still so I can hear Him in my heart.  I trust Him for direction, guidance, and wisdom in times of joy and in times of pain.  He is always with me.

I recently came across a devotional which our church compiled prior to Easter in 1990.  Both of my children wrote a page in the devotional.  It was a daily Lenten booklet given to everyone in our St. Luke Lutheran Church congregation.  I would like to share their stories with you today, twenty three years later.

Christa was 7 years old.  She loved to read and write.  Her first grade teacher told me that she was either going to be a journalist or be the President of the United States.  Christa’s story was entered in the devotional to be read on April 10, 1990.  The reading started out with the Bible verse from John 3:16.  It is one of the first Bible verses which the children learned in Sunday School.

Her story is as follows:

“Jesus was a man who helped all men.  He died for our sins.  He was crucified and put on the cross.  He arose on a Sunday and this Sunday is now called Easter.

God created the earth, the animals and everything on earth.  God loved the earth and us so that He gave His only Son for our Salvation.

We talk to God by praying.  I remember a time when God answered my prayer when I asked for a puppy.  I prayed and prayed.  Finally I got an answer.  My sister found my dog at a campsite in Florida.

My Dad said I could keep her.  She was black and only a few weeks old.  We brought her home with us in my camper.

I call her Penny because she is my ‘Penny from Heaven’

I talk to God every day.  Jesus takes care of me.  He loves me and I love Him”.

Erica was 17 years old.  Her writing was entered into the Devotional Booklet to be read on March 11, 1990.  She started her entry with the Bible verse from 1 John 5: 13-15.     

Her story is as follows:

“Jesus is the pearl of great price, but He considers us His pearls of great price.  He cares about the large and small concerns in our lives.  I became more aware of these truths this past summer after a St. Luke’s Woman’s League Softball game.  At the end of the game I discovered that my pearl earring was missing.  The entire team searched the field from first base to home without any luck.  My Mom continued to search when everyone else gave up.  As she walked from third to home, something in the dirt struck her eye.  It was my earring!  She asked me, ‘Had you prayed about it?’  I had to confess I hadn’t.  I knew she had. 

As we got into the car to go home, I dropped the earring again.  I couldn’t find it.  Then she asked me, ‘Did you say a prayer of thanks when it was found?’  Again, I had to answer ‘no’.  She said no more.  When we arrived home, I searched the car and found it again.  This time I prayed about it before and after I found it I offered a prayer of thanks to God for being concerned about the little things in my life.

Lord, help me to pray my way through each day and help me never to forget to come back and say ‘Thank You’.    Amen”

I love the Lord with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Love is a verb, an action word.  I love God and my family.  I cannot only spend my time thinking about my love for them; I want to show them my love.  I show God how much I love Him by learning more about Him, obeying Him, and by coming to Him in worship, praise, and thanksgiving.  I thank Him for my children and my grandchildren.  They are my legacy.  I show my children and grandchildren how much I love them by caring for their needs, being available to them, kissing and hugging them, and by sharing my faith with them.  I want to share the knowledge and wisdom which God has given to me over the years.  I want the gift of faith which I have received to be contagious.  I cannot give them my faith but I can spark the desire within each of them to seek for their own truth.  I want them to know that faith isn’t a religion, a denomination, or an intangible hope.  The Truth, the Way, and the Life is a person.  It is Jesus, God’s promise of reconciliation in each of our lives.  Believing and receiving the gift of faith will be a personal decision in each person’s life.  I pray for every member of my immediate and extended family daily.  God hears me.  The work being done in their lives is His.  I pray; the Holy Spirit convicts.

Thank you, dear Lord, for your love.  Thank you for your plan in my life.  Thank you for the gift of faith which you have given me.  Thank you for the physical and spiritual legacy of my family.   I am encouraged by the words in Psalm 100:5, “For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations”.     

A Psalm of Thanksgiving, Psalm 100

“Shout with Joy to the Lord, O earth!  Worship the Lord with gladness.  Come before Him, singing with joy.  Acknowledge that the Lord is God.  He made us, and we are His.  We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.  Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise.  Give thanks to Him and bless His name.  For the Lord is good.  His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.”

As I read and meditate on these words, I think about how faithful God has been in my life. I think about how grateful I am for His love and faithfulness.  The more I know Him; the more I feel His presence.  I love the Lord.  When you love someone you want to spend time with that person and as you do you develop a more intimate relationship and friendship with the one you love.  When you give your heart to someone you want to be with them; to be in their presence.  God is a very real part of who I am.  He is the vine, I am a branch.  He abides in me and I abide in Him (John 15:1-7).  As I read and study the Word, the Holy Spirit teaches me and fills me with His gifts.  I am open to receive the gifts of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22.  I thank Him, talk to Him, praise Him, and worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Today is my youngest grandson’s birthday.  Harrison John was born a year ago today.  What a very special gift he is.  Psalm 100 tells me that God’s faithfulness continues to each generation.  The gift of faith was passed down to me from my grandparents and my parents.  They reflected God’s love.  Although passed down, the gift of faith is personal.  I chose to believe and receive Christ as my personal Savior when I was very young.  It is a journey which I am still on.  My baby faith has grown into a mature faith and it will never stop growing.  Faith is a journey.  “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).  God reveals Himself and tells us about Himself and His plan of Salvation throughout the Bible.  How can we know Him and His plan for each of our lives if we don’t read or listen to Him and His Word.  I believe God’s promise in Psalm 100, “His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation”.   This gift of faith will be passed on to my grandsons, Trevor, Hunter, and Harrison as my daughters reflect God’s light into their lives.  My children, their spouses, and my grandchildren are my legacy.  They are children of the Heavenly Father, children of the King, and I pray that my grandsons will become men of God.  God and family are the only things that really matter to me.  Everything else is temporary.  I thank God for His blessings and His favor in my life.  We all need material things during our earthly life but God and our loved ones are the only Forever Blessings.  We will be together throughout eternity. 

God is sovereign.  My life, my days, and my possessions are in His hands.  The people I love are in His hands.  I pray the Jabez prayer for myself, my family, and everyone I love every day.  May God bless each of us.  May we grow in wisdom and love as we walk our journey.  Lord, especially today, Bless little Harrison John.  Grandma and Papa love you.               

LOVE

LOVE

“The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing." 

Zephaniah 3:17

 “For God so lo_Ved the world

           that He g_Ave

                His on_Ly

                begott_En

                      So_N

                          _That whosoever

          believeth _In Him

              should _Not perish

           but have _Everlasting life”

                                   John 3:16     

God loved us first.  He loves the world.  He loves whosoever unconditionally.  All are called.  It is not about us and what we have done or are doing.  No one can be perfect or righteous in and of himself.  It is by God’s GRACE alone, through the sacrifice of His Son, that we are seen as righteous by God through the filter of Christ.  This Agape, Unconditional LOVE is the love that God wants us to manifest in our human lives.  There is no way we can express this kind of love to others until we have experienced the ONE who loved us first!  God is LOVE.  Faith in Him is a gift.  It is up to us, each whosoever, to receive the gift.  All who have heard God’s plan of Salvation have a free will choice to believe or reject His plan.  He wants us to know how to love because we know Him and have experienced His Love in our lives.  He wants us to Believe, Receive, turn to God and turn away from our human wrongdoings.  When we are filled with God’s love, only then can, agape and unconditional love flow through us touching the lives of others; on Valentine’s Day and everyday.

I dedicate this to you Heidi.  You knew God and His Son. You are in His everlasting arms.  We love you!        

Christ is The Bridegroom; The Church is The Bride

Throughout Scriptures the Bible tells us of Christ’s marriage relationship with us.  We and Christ become one when we meet Him at the alter of our faith.  This spiritual analogy of Bridegroom and Bride; husband and wife, is seen in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.  Christ can be found throughout the 66 books of the Bible.  God’s plan of redemption begins at the beginning, in Genesis. God’s Salvation plan for our redemption is seen from the first book to the last book of the Bible.  In the Revelation we read about Christ returning for His bride. 

In marriage, husband and wife become one physically and spiritually.  Christ wants us to love Him and become one in mind and body with Him.  Jesus is referred to as the Bridegroom in the Bible many times.  The Old Testament Prophets used the term bridegroom liberally, as did Jesus Himself.  We also see this description used by the apostles in the gospels, the epistles, and in the Book of Revelation. 

Isaiah 54:5 says, “for now your creator will be your husband, His name, The Lord God Almighty; your Redeemer will be The Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth”.  Isaiah 61:10 says, “I will exalt for joy in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God; for He has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity; like a bridegroom wearing his wreath; like a bride adorned in her jewels”.      

Psalm 46 tells of the King being a royal husband delighting in the beauty of his bride, a beautiful princess waiting for the King in her chamber.  The marriage celebration is a joyful, enthusiastic procession as they enter the King’s palace.  We are to honor the King, for He is our Lord.  We enter into God’s kingdom the moment we believe and receive Him as our Lord, our King, and our Redeemer.  As believers, we are Christ’s brides.  He is our Bridegroom.  In Ephesians 5:31, Paul writes, “ ‘As the Scriptures say, A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’  This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one”.  In the Old Testament book, Song of Songs, love between a husband and wife is understood by Paul to be a picture of the love Christ has for his bride, the church.  Song of Songs is a collection of love poems.  The book is attributed to Solomon in the Hebrew title “Song of Solomon”.  These songs have often been interpreted by Jews as a picture of the relationship between God and His people, the Israelites.  In the Old Testament, Israel is called God’s wife (Jeremiah 3:1 and Ezekiel 16 and 23).  In the New Testament Christ is the Bridegroom and we, the Church are His bride.  

God told John in Revelation 19:9, Write this, “Happy are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb”.  Christ is the final Sacrificial Lamb for the atonement of our sins.  Christ is the Bridegroom at the wedding feast.  God calls each of us by name to the wedding feast to be rescued, person by person.  The Church is not a building.  The Church is God’s bride comprised of all who have received and said yes to God’s invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb.  By God’s Grace alone is everyone invited; not by anything that we have done.  He supplies the wedding garments.  We just have to choose to put them on!  Read about God’s invitation to each of us in Matthew 22.  YES!   

Tears of Our "Faith Encounters" Glorify God

God has touched my life in very specific ways in the past.  These ways are my testimony.

The remembrances of my encounters with God cause my eyes to well up with tears as I recollect and speak of them.  God uses our testimonies to bring others to faith or to increase the faith of those who share in our tears.   God is glorified through our tears because these emotions are proof of the reality of our experience and of our faith.  We grow in faith and move on into a deeper dimension each time God touches us.  He grows our spirit by touching it with His Spirit.  Our spirit experiences a new birth.  The Holy Spirit enters our being.  We believe and receive.  God’s Spirit within us grows deeper as we seek, study the word, and come face to face with the reality of God’s existence.  My faith has matured as the Holy Spirit continues to fill me with His Spirit.  As His Spirit increases, mine decreases.  The more I grow in Christ, the more I can be used by Him.  A changed life is the result of a God encounter.  It is the result of what God has done, not anything which I have done.  As we experience God and His love; our life changes.  These changes can be seen by others.   We become a witness to God’s Glory.  He is reflected in our daily lives and we want to share the certainty of our faith in Christ and His promises with others, especially our family and our loved ones.

I want to live by the Spirit’s power in my life.  The Holy Spirit and our natural spirits, which are sinful by nature, are constantly in conflict.  Galatians 6: 17 tells us that, “These two forces are constantly fighting each other and our choices are never free from this conflict.”  Verse 19 says, “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature your lives will produce evil results.”  Verse 22 says, “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”.  When our lives reflect these gifts it is because the power of the Holy Spirit has become greater than our own nature when reacting to life, people, and circumstances.  We are not to take the credit for these gifts of the Spirit.  It is God who is to be thanked and glorified in our lives.  They are God’s gifts to His children. 

I have received the gift of faith.  My little faith has grown into big faith.  My faith has developed as I have learned to know God.  I meet Him in His word and in His creation.  I talk to Him in prayer, stillness, song, praise, and worship.   The more I know God, the more I experience His faithfulness.  The more I experience God’s faithfulness, the more I trust Him.  Faith is trusting God even when I don’t understand.  Proverbs 3:5 tells me to “Trust in the Lord with all of my heart, and lean not on my own understanding”.  As I remember and share my testimony and my God encounters, sometimes through my tears, I gain courage to believe and trust even more today than I did yesterday.  May God be glorified in my faith, my trust, my testimony, my tears, and my life.     

I Walk by Faith Not by Sight

I do not know what the New Year will bring but I know who will guide me through the days of 2013.  I will take one step at a time into the future.  I will walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).  I am starting the year out in the Word, specifically in 2 Corinthians 5.  It reminds me that I have been reconciled to God through Christ and I am therefore Christ’s ambassador.  Christ’s love compels me because I am convinced that He died for all.  He died for me, for my family, for my friends, and for everyone.  I believe the promises of God.  I am confident of the words which I read and I claim God’s promise of reconciliation in my life and in the ministry of reconciliation which this chapter talks about. 

I pray daily and continuously.  For me praying is being in conversation with God.  I feel His presence, He hears me, and He speaks to me.  He answers and gives me glimpses of His presence in many different ways.  On this New Year’s Day I specifically pray that God would keep me aligned in His perfect will.  I pray to be filled with His Holy Spirit and to be used in the lives of everyone I am praying for.  It is God’s Grace that has brought me to this place of faith and commitment.  I am open to His leading.  I want Him to use me and to grow me wherever He places me. 

I will not list by name all who I am in prayer for.  My family and friends know who they are.  I pray for specific needs and God’s Blessings in each life.  There are some who are presently in need of God’s healing presence and power.  I enter this New Year praying for healing for Sebastian, Margaret, Ott’s husband Bill, Judy’s grandson Timmy, Frank, and continued healing for LaVerna.  Thank you Lord for hearing my prayers.

I extend my New Year’s Blessings to each of you.  I have spoken to the Lord and have promised Him a renewed commitment to share my faith and my spiritual insights with you, the readers of my Blog.  I cannot see into 2013 and beyond but I am reconciled to the one who does see the beginning and the end; the Alpha and the Omega.  Walk with me as we increase in faith and in the knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  It is an exciting journey and I live in anticipation of what God will be doing in my life, and yours, in 2013.