lavished love

"I exalt You, my God the King, and praise Your name forever and ever…I will speak of Your splendor and glorious majesty and Your wonderful works. They will proclaim the power of Your awe-inspiring acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They will give a testimony of Your great goodness and will joyfully sing of Your righteousness" (Psalm 144:1, 5-7). 

Last weekend, I was in a wedding of one of my best friends from college and her husband. One of my favorite moments was at the rehearsal dinner when people gave toasts to wish the couple well. This was especially neat, since my friend has the love language of words of affirmation. Her now husband gave the last speech, and it was neat to see how he could go on and on about his soon bride-to-be. The whole weekend, in fact, the couple could be found showering compliments on each other.

One thing that I want to do this Easter is seek this deeper relationship with God where I just overflow in praise to Him. I think there is something powerful in thanking Him not only for blessings like family and friends, but also for who He is. It reminds us of how great He is, and it also gives worship and honor to Him. It can also be a witness to others that His people are comforted in His presence.

Kelli Martin

Let the memories and praise of Him resonate within you. It can do something within us and also can be such a witness to others to see how our Savior comforts us and refreshes us like cool springs. He loves us not just in mind - He loves us in action, words and truth, as we see when we remember the cross He sacrificed on for us. Yes, He loves us directly.

What are some reasons you have found peace in Him? What do His names mean? Praise Him for who He is. If you are going through a tough time, praise Him in advance. Let this love spill out and let others see that our Savior is here through the tough times and the good. He is always here to speak to us.

Let's remember the love that He lavishes on us, and let's lavish our Savior in love. He is risen! He is risen indeed.

Check out this song by All Sons and Daughters on YouTube: "Hear the Sound"

He is here - wherever you go

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9, NASB).

In the midst of me digging into one of my first new year resolutions, God keeps reminding me to rest in Him and to remember Him. He is here.

Where are you today? He, our God, is here for all of us. He came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). When we seek Him, we will find Him (Matt. 7:7, Rev. 3:20).

He
How would you describe God?
He is present (Psalm 139:7-10).
His character is constant, He is faithful (James 1:17, 2 Timothy 2:13).
He is bread and living water - He gives strength and nourishment (John 6:35, John 4:7-42).

Is
As a verb, "is" reminds me that God's love is active.
Let's praise Him with our voices and with our lives. Let's share Him with our testimonies and with our hearts. Let's pray for a more active faith, because our Redeemer lives.

Here
What situation are you in? Whom have you come across this week?
He is here:

• for our friend and for the foreigner
• for the executive and for the busboy
• for the person we serve in volunteer efforts and for the widow on our street

He is here - here to save the world, to draw close to a world in need for more of Him. 

Our God manages the world and yet He makes time - He wants time - with each person He created. 

Let's share "He is here" with our hearts that crave more of Him, and let's share "He is here" with others who don't know Him yet as Lord and Savior.

He is here - wherever you go. Amen.

Great songs: "Be Still My Soul" by Page CXVI and "How Deep the Father's Love" by Page CXVI

Great passage: Isaiah 61:1-4

Love Deeply

"Now that you have taken care to purify your souls through your submission to the truth, you can experience real love for each other. So love each other deeply from a [pure] heart. You have been reborn - not from seed that eventually dies but from seed that is eternal - through the word of God that lives and endures forever. For Isaiah said, 

'All life is like the grass, 

and its glory like a flower;

The grass will wither and die, 

and the flower falls,

But the word of the Lord will endure forever'

This is the word that has been preached to you" 
(1 Peter 1:22-25, The Voice).

I like this version from The Voice. As new creations, we are made alive by God's grace as we have turned to put our trust in Him as Lord and Savior. The body of Christ can come together and have a pure love like He does, since He fills us with the Holy Spirit and teaches us more of who He is. He can renew our hearts and help us forgive, reach out to and care for those around us. He can give us new eyes to see others as His precious creations that He can give new life to as well. We have known and have been filled with His love, and so we have the opportunity to multiply the world with a kind of love like God has shown.

Kelli Martin

How can you love someone today or this weekend? Recently, I stopped to talk with a neighbor who has dogs and was shocked to find out she has had recent back troubles. I wished I was there closer to when the troubles first occurred. We exchanged cell phone numbers, and I hope that I can be there for her in the future. Is there someone around you who may even just need a smile or a hopeful outlook of God's purposes? Maybe there is someone near You who doesn't know the hope and peace our God Father and Savior brings.

Let's pray that God fills us with His love so we can extend it to others and point them to God who has shown us the deepest love we've ever seen.

A couple of worship songs: "Bones" and "Like an Avalanche" by Hillsong United (Live in Miami video with lyrics)
Photo from Pinterest and psweadoreyou.blogspot.com.

Happy 4th! A Call to Freedom

"For you were called to be free, brothers; only do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love" (Galatians 5:13, HCSB). 

What makes you feel free? In America, today is a day many take to reflect on the sacrifice our forefathers made years ago. Today, there are military and other people who work to protect our country and to help unite it. Our independence day brings hope and gratefulness to this country we are blessed to be a part of.

As believers in Christ, we have been given freedom in this life in Him, as we know that we are forever a part of God's family because of His free grace. We were once caught up in sin and suffered being apart from our Maker. Christ came to die for us, though, to set us free from living life apart from Him in darkness. His selfless love shines and caused Him to die on the cross in our place. He has the power to forgive us. He offers freedom, hope and renewal in this new life in a reconciled relationship with Him.

Kelli Martin

Let's "serve one another in love" out of awe of who God is. He has shown us how to love. Instead of getting caught up in a web of selfish desires, let's look for ways we can love others today and this weekend. We may get to share where we find light and where we have learned love.

Let's pray:

• Thanks - for God's grace
• For help - to practice selfless love 
• For open eyes - to see times to share how we find freedom because of Christ's sacrifice

"No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13, HCSB).

"We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

Happy fourth!

No Greater Love

"When you were DEAD in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you ALIVE together with Him, having FORGIVEN us all our transgressions, having CANCELED out the certificate of DEBT consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, NAILING it to the cross." Colossians 2:13-14.

What a precious truth to think about this morning. What a humbling reminder that there truly is nothing good in us apart from Christ and it is through His sacrifice that we have forgiveness and life.  I love this verse in the song, O the Blood, "Oh what love, no greater love, grace, how can it be? That in my sin, yes even then, Christ shed His blood for me!"  

 Romans 5:6-8 says, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." How incredible. 

Today, take time to think about what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. Thank Him for His grace, forgiveness, salvation and sacrifice. May the truth of God's amazing love awe, humble and excite us and lead us to share Him with others.

Abide

"'Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in Me'" (John 15:9, NASB). 

My roommate bought herbs the other day for our kitchen. She's doing a good job of taking care of them, isn't she? I was excited - I think fresh herbs can turn a good meal into a delicious one. When they are connected to the roots, their water source, they grow and flourish. 

In the 15th chapter of John, Jesus asks us to "abide" in Him. What does that mean? In the Greek language, the word for "abide" is "ménō." It's a word of action. It means to remain in, and it references a time, place or state. You can read more about it here. This is how I understand it:

• time - a continual sojourn - remaining on this journey with the Holy Spirit inside us
• place - where we walk - following where God leads 
• state - our identity in Christ as believers - forgiven sinners saved by His grace and devoted to Him

We can be like fresh herbs - as we stay connected to our water source. We can stay connected by keeping our relationship with Him - by learning more about Him and where He's leading in His Word, by listening to and communicating with Him through prayer, by living a life of worship to Him.  

Kelli Martin

So, let's abide with Him, as He abides in us by the Holy Spirit. 

Let us pray we see times to give credit to where our living water - our source of life - is from.

Some other verses about abide: 
John 15:1-10,  James 1:25, 1 Corinthians 13:13, 1 John 3:24

A couple of songs:

• "Captivate Us" by Watermark - hear a cover of this song on YouTube here
• "We are Changed" by Sojourn Music - see the chords and lyrics here

The aim of our charge is love

"The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5, ESV). 

As I was on a trip with my parents last week, we got to see some friends in town. It was honestly a bit humbling finding them, as we attempted to master the mass transportation systems. So, after the travel, it was refreshing to talk and laugh with some good friends. Some were fellow believers in this diverse, hustling city.

Kelli Martin

As I read this chapter in Timothy during our trip, I noticed how encouraging it must have been for Timothy to receive this letter from Paul, his mentor. In Timothy's community, there were some false teachers. Paul explained that the source of a disciple's hope is rooted in Christ, and the aim of this message from God is love. This encouragement came at a timely moment for Timothy. He was not alone in his devotion to God. It must have inspired him to remain centered on Christ and keep teaching His Word.

As we share Him, let us be refreshed and give thanks that we are not alone in this message of hope that we share. There is already a great cloud of witnesses to the truth of the hope, forgiveness and new life that we have because of Christ. Let us pray for other believers as they share Christ in their cities, and let us pray that God gives us the wisdom, grace and boldness to share who He is. Let us be a light wherever God has us this week.

Bond of Unity

"...love, which is the perfect bond of unity" Colossians 3:14b (NASB).

Unity - it reminds me of people who come together to reach victory. Whether it be a sports team, an army, or a work group, usually a group unified at some point has to go through something - a competition, a battle, or at least some amount of time of concentrated effort. The blood, sweat and tears that can happen in the thick of a hardship can appear unattractive by onlookers. Not every united group may win the way they first planned. Although, they represent a victory to me when they hold a unity of purpose and a love for something outside of themselves.

The verse above describes how love unites people perfectly. God is love, and so love is meant to define us as individuals following Him. Also, it's meant to define us as a group of believers in Christ.

As believers, we have accepted God's love and His love is working in us, but we can also have this special bond in that we live it out together, as one body. The church definitely has people who are different - unique interests, different personalities and varied spiritual gifts. Yet, a believer's common bond with other believers is that we know, believe and trust in God's grace. We know this walk with Him has joy as well as suffering, and we know that God has told us to take heart, since He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

Christ has shown us how to walk on earth in love, and the Holy Spirit has the power to help us love today. We have seen God's grace work in our own lives and draw us to Him. We are a family of people who are made to unite under Him and live out and display His love. Let's unite in this love of God, so others may come to see more of who He is and how He brings light and life.

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35, NASB).

Study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from the Vancouver Sun of the Canadian Women's Basketball Team at the London 2012 Olympics (www.vancouversun.com).

Thread of Love

"Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond..." (Colossians 3:14a, NASB).

What do you picture, when you picture love? The word "binds" in the verse above makes me think about how threads can bring sleeves and other elements of a shirt together. That thread unites the parts that make up the final piece, so you can wear it. Like threads on a shirt, love rooted in Christ is the key to the virtues in Colossians 3:

• compassion
• kindness
• humility
• gentleness
• patience
• bearing with one another 
• forgiveness
• thankfulness

Love defines God; it's a part of His character (1 John 4:7-8). It is what drives Him in the action He takes. It's why He works in us, and it's how He renews hearts.

We can throw out those old "clothes" - lives distinguished by anger and rage, malice and slander, filthy language, lies and prejudice. We can do that with the Holy Spirit's power. Because of the price Christ paid on the cross and out of our trust in His lead, we can have this walk with God, a walk in the ways of love as we follow Him. It's His desire and joy to help us live love like He does. It's a great trade - turning in our old lifestyles for a new one marked by love, love like our Creator and Savior.

How can you love others today? How can you help weave a lifestyle of God's kind of love in your community and your city this month?

Lord, thanks for Your unmatchable love! Open our eyes to see opportunities to love more like You. Help us share with others how we learn from the best. Amen.

"We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him" (1 John 4:16, NASB). 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Check out the song "Captivated" by Jeremy Camp - www.youtube.com - photos by Edenview Photography.
Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Image by Paul Soupiset. Find samples of his work at www.paulsoupiset.com.

A New Heart

"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12, New American Standard Bible).

Did you get to see the Golden Globes a week or so ago? I admit that I love watching for the clothes that are new and that show a certain style. Most clothes fit the tone of the star studded, glamorous event.

What life style fits just right for followers of Christ? The books of Colossians and Galatians talk about those things. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, He not only forgives us but also continues working in us. He is able to give us the strength to live out who He first made us to be.

The Spirit helps us have hearts more like Christ, filled with:

• Compassion
• Kindness
• Humility
• Gentleness
• Patience

I think I need help in all of those areas. That is completely okay, though - God has grace and is still working in me. Let's pray He continues to work in our hearts in the ways this verse described, now that we have been made new in Christ and have the Holy Spirit as our guide.

Lord, thanks for Your forgiveness and taking the old ways out of us. Grow us in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Help us overflow with Your Spirit to others around us. Amen.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB). 

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from www.skiptomylou.org.

The Best

"'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search with all your heart'" (Jeremiah 29:11-13, New American Standard Bible). 

God's unconditional love is something that reveals His divinity and His unmatchable, pure heart. He encourages us to receive His love. He invites us to trust in Him and talk to Him through prayer.

In Isaiah 46:4-5, God spoke to His people through the prophet Isaiah and said,

"Even to your old age I will be the same and even to your graying years I will be with you! 

I have done it, and I will carry you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you. 

To whom would you liken Me and make Me equal and compare me, that we would be alike?"

The God of all time - past, present, and future (a.k.a. the "I AM") - has a divine plan to save His people. He sent Jesus Christ to show us His love on earth, as He came to speak and live God's Word, as well as sacrifice for our sins.  He did all of that so He could bring us out of the sin that threatens to damage us and into His family, where we are forgiven for our sins, are given the Holy Spirit, and can grow in our relationship with Him.

In Jesus, we can see even more how God loves us and wants the best for us and His kingdom. What's our response to God? Do we trust Him? Have we asked for forgiveness and leadership from Him? Are there ways we can share who He is with others today?

Lord, thank You for Your incomparable love and for wanting the best for us. Help us love You more and to trust in Your plans. Help us share where our hope comes from with others today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo is a print by Kyle Steed found at steedagrams.com.

We pray for Christ's attitude

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus." 
-Philippians 2:3-5 (New American Standard Bible)   

What does Christ's attitude look like?  In this chapter, we can read how Christ is the ultimate example of selfless love.  God came down to earth and walked along the streets of His creation.  He showed us how to love with humility, even suffering on the cross, so we wouldn't have to pay the price for our sins against Him.

How does that impact us?  We are changed, not because we are wise or perfect, but because of what God does with our lives when we ask for forgiveness and turn to Him.  God is the One who can transform us from the inside out.  When we receive Him into our lives, we let Him take the reins and lead.  As He works on our hearts, He heals us.

How does this impact our life?  Recently, my community group, friends and family chipped in, in different ways, to help me move from Louisville to Houston.  Moving can take so much time and can feel exhausting, and it was a blessing to have their help.  As we serve Christ, God is working through us.  Hopefully, as we serve Him, others will see more of who this God that we serve is, and want to know Him, too.

Lord, thanks for sending Your Son, Jesus, to sacrifice for us.  Help us see how to have an attitude of humility.  Please help us live out of a deep love for you and a desire to help others know You, too.  Amen.

A great video - YouTube music video "Be" by Selah

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29, NASB).

For more study: Philippians 2:1-18, Romans 15, Philippians 1:1, Galatians 1:10

The above study was based on the "Praying God's Heart" guide for study from HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Martin, 1999).
Photo from icaruscreative.org

Mercy Ministry - A glimpse of a free health clinic

"But Peter said, 'I don't have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!'"
-Acts 3:6, Holman Christian Standard Bible

He was a little guy.  His eyes rested shut as he was sleeping, and the woman carrying him glowed as she introduced herself and the sleeping baby boy she was holding.  Every once and a while, his eyes would peek open, then he would fall back asleep.  I was told he loved to be held, and sure enough, when someone held him, his eyes opened with life as he scanned the person holding him.

In the Bible, we can read so much about how believers can come together in community and then go out to share their faith.  What does that look like, though?  We can love our brother and sisters in Christ, forgiving each other, and we can remind each other of the Good News of Christ.  A neat thing, too, is that Jesus asked us to go out and make disciples.  He not only wanted to take care of the body of believers, but He also wants us to go out and share His love and message with others.  That's so others may know God and have a relationship with Him, too.

Last weekend, my community group and some others helped my church host a free medical clinic in town.  From noon until about 4pm, the doors of the church were opened for people to have free health services.  I was a part of a group serving as advocates.  We walked a person or a family through the services offered.  Not everyone was a member of the church who was serving that day.  Some stations included nurses, a chiropractor, Pharmacy items, warm spaghetti, doctors, and a clothing room.  One of my favorite parts was when the lady and baby boy I was with were on the third floor, and a little girl ran up to show us her beautiful magenta fingernails - there was free nail painting, haircuts, and massages offered on that floor.  It was neat to see how many people came together to love and help people from the neighborhood in a way that they could.

I realized that really I am in need, too.  Sometimes, we do not see known physical needs, but we all of us need Christ, the Savior, who came to sacrifice for us.  We can come to Him in brokenness, seeing that we do not having anything to give that would match what He has to give.  He gives those who believe in Him the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out.  Even though putting on or serving at a health clinic is not something we all may do soon, we can share Jesus and who He is with others, wherever we go today.  

Here's a link to a video from the clinic last year - http://vimeo.com/20145427
and a blog post from the clinic this year - http://seed.sojournchurch.com/projects/highlightsfeb25medclinic/
Logo/photo created by Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky

chewing on patience

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9, NIV).  

Sharing the love of Christ is not always easy to do.  As we learn more about Him, though, we can see more of how to live and love like Him and how to share Him with others.  As we follow Him, I pray we show others more of who He is.  

In the above verse, I see how God is patient with us.  From 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, we can see that patience is a part of love: "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful" (ESV).  Even when I am stubborn to follow God, He has great patience with me.  This patience motivates me, since it helps me see how His love and wisdom are great.  I pray we all have patience as we seek to follow Him and share Him with others.

What have you seen about God lately that you can live out today, so others may know Him, too?

check that off?

Romans 11:35-36 reads, "Or who has ever first given to Him, and has to be repaid? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen" (Holman Christian Standard Bible).  


This afternoon, I saw an exercise t-shirt that read, "Check that off!"  It made me question myself, "Do I sometimes obey God like it is a check-off for my to-do list?"  Do we obey Him out of habit?  

God's grace and mercy make His character stand out.  God meets us where we are, no matter how messy life can seem. Action and obedience are important, yet it is God who gives us the strength to follow as we believe in, turn to and trust in Him.

I pray that we will share the Good News of His grace.  We can take a deep breath and rest in knowing that He loves us and is there to guide us every step of the way.


Flashback: 2007 music video by Switchfoot, "You Already Take Me There" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l1KgHI5GxA

the challenge of truth

How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation" (Daniel 4:3, NIV).

Last week, I heard a sermon that had nearly eleven points.  It inspired me to see how much this pastor was drawing from God's Word.  If we stay connected with quiet time in the Word, I believe that God will help us see His plan.

Sometimes, the truth can feel like a cut.  An example of such a cut, I think, is in Daniel, when Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that haunted him.  In Daniel 4, he called Daniel, to interpret one he had about a tree being ordered to be cut down by a holy one.  When Daniel, who we know believed in and spent time praying to God, interpreted the dream, he was, "greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him" (verse 19).  When he interpreted the dream to the king, though, he made sure to include that if the king followed God, then he may not suffer (verse 27).  The king did not turn from his selfish rule, but after he suffered (his authority was taken from him and he went mad).

This story in Daniel turns, as King Nebuchadnezzar declares that God rules over all:  "His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation" (verse 34b).  His sanity and kingdom were restored, and he said, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble" (verse 37).   I admire Daniel, because he communicated the truth both accurately to, and in concern for, Nebuchadnezzar.

When we communicate God's truth through His Word, I think it is important to realize how powerful it is.  Are we communicating the truth in love?  His message can feel like a cut, but He can use it to heal us.  We are sinners, but Christ died for us so that we can know Him and live.  I pray that we continue to pray and seek His lead in living for Him.

a memorable surprise

"I [Jesus speaking] am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep"  (John 10:14-15). 

Monday, I think I saw a good representation of a shepherd.  Around lunchtime in the office, some employees seemed to tiptoe in and out of the front lobby, peering both into the main conference room and to the door by the elevators.  It was a senior partner's 50th birthday, and the group was trying to surprise him with cake and lunch.  His wife phoned in, explaining that she was with him and was trying to convince him to come back to the office before they "left for lunch."

What drew my attention was another senior partner, who actually started the firm.  He made sure that other employees knew to come to the front area for the surprise, and he stood by the front.  When the man whose birthday it was exited the elevators with his wife, he smiled hugely as the office clapped and wished him a happy one.  The founding senior partner stepped towards him, stopping him before he said thanks, to explain his gratitude for his friendship and for being a part of the team.

The way this founding partner behaves in showing care to each person in the office came to mind when I read this verse about Jesus being the good shepherd.  God truly cares about us; He sent His Son Jesus to suffer for what we've done wrong so that we can know Him today and celebrate one day with Him in heaven.  God has a plan for us, so we don't need to fret.  When we trust in Him, He is right there to walk with us, just like a good shepherd is there to save his sheep. 

How can we share this with others?

"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen" (Hebrews 13:20-21).

Happy Daddy's Day, LORD!

"As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him;" Psalm 103:13

God loves you, and as His child, He has compassion on those who respect with awe His Holiness!

Who do we know that needs compassion from their "Abba, Daddy" GOD HIMSELF!?

There is no one like God and no love like His Love & Mercy that is New every morning!

As Father's Day is celebrated this coming weekend, join me thanking and celebrating our heavenly Father and His forever unconditional love that someone needs today!!

What are some ways that we can share God's Unconditional Love & Compassion with others that need Him?

They will know we are Christians by HIS ♥LOVE♥

a flicker of candlelight

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrifired. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:8-12).

Today, there will be many candlelight services held at churches around the world. These times give us the opportunity to soak up the moment and remember Jesus, who was born that starry night years ago.

What does Jesus' birth story mean to us today? When the angels came to declare the news of Jesus' birth, the shepherds responded in fear. It may be unavoidable to be in awe of God when His glory is shown, as we can see when we read stories from Moses and Paul (found in Exodus 3 and Acts 22:1-16).

Yet, as the angels told, we do not need to be afraid, since God has sent His Son, Jesus, to save us! We are able to rejoice with this good news and be filled with joy, becuase Jesus was sent to forgive us and bring us closer to God. I pray wherever we are today that we are able to not be overcome with fear but swelling with thankfulness of His Son who came to save us. Not everyone knows the story of God's love, so let us spread this, "good news of great joy that will be for all the people."

"Silent Night" by Sixpence None the Richer music video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6ml_YbgJsQ

focal point

As my family helped me unpack this weekend, I recalled that some interior designers suggest to choose a focal point when setting up a room. For example, a living room may have a fireplace or a piece of artwork as a focal point. By knowing a room's intended focus, it may be easier to unravel and communicate the vision for that room.

This makes me question, "What is my focal point, in spirit? Do I act out of habit - out of pleasure - out of love?"

1 John 4:16 (New Living Translation) explains,
"We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them."
I think what John is saying in that verse is that if we trust God to lead us, He will help us live out of love. As followers of Jesus, I hope that we seek to grow in our understanding of Him and in our love for the world. My prayer is that God gives us the courage to look at the state of our current inner guidance system, and I pray that we choose Him as our focal point.

Photo from http://www.masonryofdistinction.com/