thought for today...LOVE is the point!

Agape love came to earth in the form of Christ to reconcile us with God. 

It is this love, according to Richard Foster, that “transforms our lives and gives us true spiritual substance as persons.” It is not how much Bible knowledge we have that transforms the world but the quality of love we show to those in our sphere of influence. Foster goes on to state that this is “the test of whether or not we have really gotten the point of the Bible.”

Have we really gotten the point? 

Does the word of Christ dwell in us so richly that it is metabolized in our hearts and souls as love for others? As it is written in Colossians 3:12-14 as God's chosen people we are to clothe ourselves with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” We are to “bear with each other” and “forgive whatever grievances” we have with one another. And finally we are also told that over all these virtues we are “to put on love.”

Love is the point. 

The reason we read and study the word should not be just to collect knowledge but to become like Him. 

And God is love.  

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thought for today...wake up!

It is time to surrender complacency.

It is time to wake up and fully live for Him.

For the past few weeks I have been asking God to wake me up to the things that I need to change in my life.  

Wake me up to the lessons and the gifts of life He has for me along this journey.

I don't want to miss the lessons.

I want to express gratitude and acknowledge all of the gifts.

I want to live as wise and not unwise, as the following verse says, so that I can make the most of each opportunity that God provides.

As I surrender to doing the things that I need to do for my health I have experienced more energy and more clarity of thought.  This has affected me spiritually as well.  I find myself slowly waking up in Him and taking note of the Light of Christ all around. And it is truly beautiful...

May God wake us up so that the Light of Christ shines on us and glorifies Him!

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thought for today...carry each other's burdens

At church on Sunday we were each given three sticky notes and a pen.  We were instructed to write down our burdens...the things we wanted to give over to God. The things we cannot carry alone.  

After writing them down we took turns placing them on a large heart at the front of the room.  Once we finished placing them on the heart then we went back up to get three prayer requests to take home with us.  To help share the load by supporting one another in prayer throughout the week.  

Each day I open my Bible and I have three anonymous burdens to pray over, to offer up to God, to help carry the load.  I also know that someone is praying for my requests...my burdens are being shared.  

 My load has felt lighter this week.  And I hope that those I am praying for feel the same way.  

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thought for today...godly graffiti

We live on a dirt road and we work in an office on a dirt road so our little SUV gets dusty.  It gets washed and then gets dusty again...the cycle is endless.  It is fairly common to see various messages written on car windows around the city.  

This was the message left on our car the other day.

 

There are passages in Matthew, Mark and Luke that say "Love your neighbor as you love yourself".  But our tagger flipped the message. "Love yourself as you love your neighbor."  What great food for thought.  For some of us loving our neighbor is easy but loving ourselves is the challenge.  

Is it like that for you?  

Do you need to cut yourself some grace and begin loving yourself the way you love your neighbor?  

I confess that this is one of my struggles.  I remember being taught this J-O-Y acronym in Sunday School as a child.  

Jesus first.

Others second.

Yourself last.

It is so much easier to have patience with someone in pain, or with the one who has made a mistake, or with that one who takes a little extra tolerance to work with than it is to be kind to and take care of myself.  

I am realizing through this Year of Surrender that I have gotten some of God's words twisted.  And I need to work them out.  Jesus first, yes!  Just like the J-O-Y acronym starts.  But the Bible verse admonishes me to 'Love my neighbor AS myself''.  Not 'instead of' or 'before'...as.  As.   As I begin allowing this to take root in my brain my attitude toward myself begins to change and I surrender another layer of the veneer that covers my heart.  

I know that one day at a time and one issue at a time this season of Surrender will make me, mold me, and fill me with more of Him, more of His Word, and more of His grace.  

May God help us work through the issues standing in the way

and the words that we have twisted in our lives

 so that He may fit us for His service!

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and you can find a post of mine here:Alida: She Rocks
as part of the series:

Are you getting tired of doing good?

 

Galatians 6:9 encourages us to keep on pressing on when we feel weary.  The harvest comes at the proper time.  Not in our time but in His.  This doesn't mean that I have to work myself ragged without any rest.  I am allowed to take much needed breaks.  Tom and I were grateful for the days off that we had over the Easter holiday.  But, taking those days off did not indicate that we were giving up.  It was simply a time to recharge and unwind a bit.  

Even when our hearts are in the right place and we are living out our purpose we can still grow weary at times.  Doing good can get tedious, feel overwhelming, and we may even think that we are not making any headway for all of our efforts...and yet...His word says we will reap a harvest "if" we do not give up. 

May you find the strength, encouragement and determination to hang in there.  The harvest is on the way!  

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Thought for Today...Crucified with Christ

This photo features a 'found' cross... what I mean is that the photo is actually of the crossbars in a window and not a 'real' cross.  Have you ever seen a cross like that?  You know, one that is formed by the intersection of two objects or by looking at an item in a certain way.   Our lives are like that sometimes.  We mean for it to be one way but how it looks to someone else might be different.  This verse reminds me that my life as a believer is not my own.  I no longer live for my own purposes and goals but for His.  It is not about me but all about Him.

I wish I could do this perfectly.  

But, I can't.  I mean...I know I am capable of it...we all are through Him.  But on my own... self gets in the way.  There are still days when my desires conflict with His desires.  There are days when I would rather not hear about the heartache someone is facing.  Days when I want to bury my head in the pillow and pretend that bad things don't happen to children or to women.  Days when I don't want to be Christ with skin on for someone else.  But, the reality is that bad things happen.  There is darkness that needs to be overcome with light.  And people need the Lord.  So that means that people like me and you need to represent Him as best we can.

As a believer I need to allow His life, His light, and His love to flow through me.  We all do.  If all of us together made sure that Christ was living through us and in us, through our words, our actions and our desires...this world would be a better place for us all.

This week as we prepare for Good Friday and for Resurrection Day may we be aware of what it truly means to be crucified with Him.

Let us meditate together on these words:

I have been crucified with Christ

 and I no longer live, 

but Christ lives in me.  

The life I live in the body,

 I live by faith in the Son of God,

 who loved me and gave Himself for me.  

Galatians 2:20

and may we choose to live in such a way that when people look at us...they see Him.

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thought for today...let's go to Mercy's place

This photo was taken last year in Orange Walk.  We went there for both of us to speak at a Youth Rally put on by CDF.  On our way home we stopped at this street side stand to pick up some tacos.

The name Mercy's Place struck a chord with me.  I want to be in that place.  The place of God's mercy.  His mercy is a precious gift which is not based on what we do or don't do.  It is completely up to His discretion whom He chooses to grace with His mercy.

We are seeing some clients in severely difficult situations right now...and we find ourselves calling out to God for mercy on their behalf.  Some are finding relief.  But, a few are feeling the heat turned up even higher as they are caught in the wake of someone's sinful choices.  And yet we know that God is faithful.  And in His time He will set them free.

Meanwhile...we keep praying...we keep crying out to Him.  And we keep trusting Him for mercy.

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thought for today...

This photo was taken near a waterfall on the grounds of Cisco Citrus.  We had to cross over this bridge to walk up to where the fall is located.  Keeping our feet on the path was important but also difficult.  The bridge was slippery.   It was an unexpected stop for us so we were not dressed for a hike.  But, God protected us.  No one slipped.

I know that there are times when God's hands are on us, guiding us, directing us, and we may not even realize it.  But on this occasion God's literal protection and care was evident to us all.  We stuck to the path that was laid out for us and we all made it safely to the waterfall and back.

Praise God for the faithfulness of His word!

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thought for today

The clouds contrasting with the fiery shades of orange caused us to stop and take note of God's majesty as we drove home the other day.  This is March.  The rainy season ended weeks ago and yet we have had many rain-filled days this year.  Sometimes the downpours go on for hours.  The charm and beauty of the sun can sometimes get lost when days are hot and the earth is scorched by fires.  But, when it is overcast and dreary for days on end... the appearance of the sun calls us to rejoice.

And yet, I know that my praise should not be affected by my circumstances.

Why do I allow my mood to affect my worship?  

His glory doesn't change like our attitudes.  His majesty still exists when clouds are dark.

May we rejoice in the splendor of our Lord no matter what comes our way. 

 Rain or shine He is worthy.

Let us ascribe to Him the glory due His name!

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Thought for Today

I took this photo in Dangriga last week. This gentleman was diligently working to repair his net as his children played in the yard.  Fishing for him is not a hobby.  It is how he feeds his family.  Casting his net out into the sea is a daily activity for him.  

We have had times in the counseling office when we have an unexpected client stop in and we choose to put aside what we are doing to give our attention to the person in front of us.  We have to put down our 'nets', so to speak, and follow what He would have us do.  

I don't think that leaving your net has to always mean literally walking away from your livelihood.  To me it means being open to those divine appointments within our days which come in the form of interruptions.  These interruptions may simply be an opportunity from God to guide you deeper in your walk with Him. 

May we be open to leaving our nets when He calls.

And may we see the blessings in the divine appointments He brings our way.

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Winsome Wednesday