Worthy

Sometimes you find something that is a mess, like a wadded up rug at a garage sale, until you pick it up, hold it up and let it fall into it's natural shape, and you find you have a treasure. Too many examples to give, an old painting stored in the attic, a diamond ring put in with some costume jewelry, a classic pottery piece gathered with a lot of cheap glassware. Yeah, too many to state.
But, the beauty is there, the value is there, it's just not been used for awhile. It's gathered dust. It's been overlooked, undervalued and discarded. Still, all it takes is someone to be curious, to take that minute to pick it up, dust it off and see it's value.
We all feel like that sometimes, like we're overlooked, undervalued and discarded. But regardless if the entire world fails to see our value, the creator of all things knows our worth. He never questions it, even though we question ourselves at times. He knows our worth, and we are valued.
Today, I feel overlooked, undervalued and discarded. But in my heart, I know that I'm worth the price Christ paid for me. I am worthy!
So, today I'm resting. Trusting in His love for me while I rest, while I indulge myself in some 'me' time.

Father,
I ask You to forgive me of my sins, Lord. My selfishness, my bad attitude and my lack of patience. I confess this to You, and acknowledge my errors. I thank You, for Your love and Your forgiveness.
I pray that anyone coming across this post today would know that You love them, regardless of their mistakes. I pray that they will know that regardless of the ways they fall short, that they are still loved by You, and that they are precious to You.
I thank You. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Questions

I've always been the kind of person that you have to prove things to. I've always found it hard to trust anything, people, books, signs, I've questioned it all. I'm sure it has much to do with never having anything to trust in growing up. But, I'm an adult now and all reasons are no longer important. Before I came to Christ, one of my major hurdles keeping me from believing was my constant questioning. 'How could this be possible? How could that be possible?'
I still have questions, 23 years later, but I don't let them hinder my walk with Christ. The questions I have now can be found in the Word (thank God for the concordance), but mostly I find them in Him and by practicing faith. Faith is like a muscle, the more it is used the stronger it gets.
What I've learned is to not waste my time on questions I can't answer. People ask me if I believe in UFO's, do I believe in ghosts, how do I explain prehistoric man? The only answer I can give them is an honest one, 'I don't know'.
Timothy 1:4 tells us: Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies (history), which minister (cause) questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith.
The Word concludes in Timothy 6:20 & 21: keep that which is committed to thy trust (the Word), avoiding profane (such as do not honor God) and vain (empty) babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
Which some professing have erred (made mistakes) concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

My son, Charlie, has asked me a few good questions lately. If Adam and Eve were the first 2 people, where did everyone else come from unless there was incest. Truth is, I don't know. Perhaps God created a Jane and John to live down the block from Adam and Eve, we don't know. He's asked all the good ones as he's walking down that road heading towards giving himself totally to Christ, I remember that road. Some just run down it with ease, some stumble and fall, but get back up and keep walking. The destination is the same, the journey is what makes us individuals and we're all special and precious in God's sight.

What I impress upon him is that there are things that we will never know until we are home with the Father and all things are revealed to us. What I impress upon him, and what I bear in mind myself, is this, Ecclesiastes 12:12-13: And further by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end, and much study is as weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion (the end of the matter) of the whole matter: Fear (respect, honor) God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Yes, for this is the WHOLE duty of man.

Father,
I confess my sins to you Lord, and ask that You forgive me of my wrong doings. For this, I give You thanks and bless Your Holy name. You are holy and You are merciful.
Father, there are many questions that fill our human nature, we are, by nature, curious. But as a child that learns what doors he or she may open and which are forbidden, we learn to accept that there are things which are not known to us, that they are behind a forbidden door and are not for our edification. I am thankful for your patience, Lord, as we, Your children, learn to walk towards You with all the lessons that come with maturity in You.
I pray that Your love would be shared by those who know You and are continuously growing in You. I welcome the day that all things will be revealed to me, but until that time, I will serve You with a joyous heart, Father, because I am Your beloved. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Celebrating The Ultimate Sacrifice

Before I share anything with you today, I ask that you visit this post on The Resurrection by my friend, Deb.




God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I believe in the Trinity. How is it possible? I don't know, but I've learned to "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thy own understanding. In ALL thy ways acknowledge HIM, and he shall direct thy paths". (Proverbs 3:1-6). What I know, from the Trinity, is that They have all been together, forever. Though separate, they are One. They, together, know what is beyond this world waiting for us, what is available to us.
I believe that this is one of the reasons why when God the Son, while yet also a man, walked this earth that, though He was tempted, was able to remain without sin. He knew the comparison, and there was a true choice of what was worth more. Sin on this earth, as tempting as it's been made to be, or all of Gods children having a way made for them to dwell with the Trinity forever. I, also, believe that having been together (the Trinity) forever, that it must have been so lonely for the Father and the Holy Spirit when Christ left Heaven to be born upon the earth a man, and how hard it must have been for Them to watch Christ go through what He did. When Christ could have chosen to go home at any time, to call upon all the angels of heaven to do battle for Him, and yet He chose to suffer and die, so that we could be saved by His death and resurrection. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (St. John 3:16) and ..."these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God". (1 John 5:13)
What a celebration there must've been in heaven when the Trinity was reunited, and what a celebration there is yet to be when we join them. This is why my family celebrates Easter. Christ paid a price that we were unable to do, we have been bought with the blood of the Lamb and we know what our future holds.
My family prays that you and your family will have a blessed and happy Easter.

Father,
I come to you, lord, asking that my sins be forgiven, and that I am able to kneel before you washed in the blood of my Christ.
What a season of celebration for those who know You, Father. The joy that is in our hearts, the hope that fills our spirits and the anticipation of being with You, Your Son and Your Holy Spirit, is nearly too much to contain in this earthly vessel. I thank You that Your Son made that way possible for me. I thank you, that He paid a price that I was unable to pay.
It's my prayer, Lord, that those who have yet to know You, will be touched by Your Holy Spirit this day and that their day will cross paths with someone who has been sent by You, to do Your will, to do Your bidding. That there will a be a witness in their life today that they are not able to ignore. And I ask You, Father, to meet them where they are in their life, and that they may know Your Glory this day of holy celebration. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Two Roads

The Word tells us about the wide and the narrow roads in life. This is one of the hardest lessons to learn, and it's one of the hardest to teach. If I angst over trying to teach it to two teenage boys, imagine the Father with trying to teach it to all of His children. I wonder if there is a supernatural strength Tylenol.
Anyway, the wider the road we take, the easier the choices are to make. Likewise, the narrower the road, the harder the choices are to make. The choice of roads to take is ours, however only one road leads to life eternal with the Father. It's hard, help me lord, it's so hard. That wide road is so inviting, no hills or valleys, none of those pesky little rocks in the road, just gorgeous scenery on a perfect slow and easy Sunday type of drive kind of road. This is the road we take in life when we want to have it all now, enjoy all the pleasures this world has to offer and not have to bother with any of the consequences. Unfortunately, those consequences are huge.
That narrow road? It's got scenery, scenery of those in need, of those hurting, of those who are lonely. It's got the hills and valleys that make our muscles ache to walk it. The narrow road has those little rocks that are so easy to stumble over if we don't watch where we're going. This is the road we take when we let the Father's original 'On-Star' guide us, when we admit we're lost and ask for directions. This is the road we take when it's not the journey that is important to us, but the destination we're wanting to arrive at. The destination that puts the journey of the wide road to shame. The destination that makes every ache, every stumble, and every stop along the way to aid those on the side of the road, worth it. It's that destination that I'm traveling towards, the journey is just the means to get there. I'm made of what it takes to travel that narrow road.

Father,
Please forgive me of my sins this morning. I lay my wrongs at Your feet, I give this heavy load to You, Lord, for my sins weigh me down and I can not stand with them on my back.
I thank You for the road you've set before me. I walk it with joy. I know, Father, that the road to take is mine to choose, and I choose the road that leads me to You. I wear every bruise, every scrape and every tear with a humble heart and with joy. I have seen glimpses of my destination, Lord, and nothing along the way can keep me from reaching it. I know that You walk beside me every step of the way. I do not make this journey alone, unless I choose to. You are with me, Your angels protect me and Your Holy Spirit is always 'On-Call'. If I need to stop and rest, You will not go on without me, but allow me to lay my head upon Your lap to rest. With all that I am, I will follow Your path for me. Your destination is my focus in life, and I thank You for friends and company that walk with me from time to time.
In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Walk, Don't Run

Sometimes it seems like we're stagnate. Like we're so stagnate in life that mold is fixin to grow on us. *Fixin is Texan for going to* It's okay. Sometimes we need down time, quiet time, listening time. Life isn't all about action. Sometimes we're so use to being on the go, that when life may seem slow for a period of time, it feels wrong. It's not. It's not wrong to go about the same daily tasks for a few days, a month or even years, if that's how God is directing you. The Word tells us to be still and listen. Christ retreated to a quiet place to listen, to communicate with the Father. There were many times the Word tells us that Christ couldn't be found. What was He doing? Who cares, it's not our business to know. We do know that He was about His Fathers business, and that, my friends, is all we need to know.
It's possible to be busy with worthy causes without being about our Fathers business. It's likely that God has you reaching, touching, affecting each and every person in your path today, and all you have to do is be about His business. What is His business? That's between you and Him. His plan for my life isn't His plan for your life. That man you let cut in front of you yesterday on the highway with a smile on your face...he was expecting you to give him an unchristian like motion with your finger. :) You didn't, and that changed his outlook for that moment, maybe for his day. You, my sweet brother and sister, were about your Fathers business.
Please know, that as long as you're asking God to direct your steps and relaying His love to others, that your life is as meaningful and worthy as Mother Teresa's was, as Nelson Mandella's is...you are worthy and about your Fathers business. Live without question, but with servitude.

Father,
I ask You, Lord, to forgive me of any sins I am harboring this morning. I thank You for the love You have for me, to see what I'm about, even though I'm still questioning it. It's like the bridge questioning if it's doing it's job by standing still, while it's being used for the purpose it was created for. I will not waste time questioning, Lord, but I will use that time giving You thanks that I am an instrument created to walk in Love that others may know You.
I praise You. I pray Your blessing over all those who read this today. I pray that their hearts would be filled with the joy of Your love, that their spirits would be sensitive to the leading and guiding of Your Holy Spirit and that they would know that they are loved by Love Itself.
In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, I ask these things, Amen.

Fall

I look at death much differently than most people. I've been thought of as hard hearted when some of my favorite and most loved people have passed. Yes, I mourned...for me. My loss, not theirs. People ask how God can be so cruel as to take good people from us. I don't know if it's because I wasn't raised Christian, since I didn't come to Christ till my late 20's, but I don't deal with a lot of theological questions. However, the way I have thought of death since I did come into His love is that it's like that exercise where you have someone you trust stand behind you, and you fall backwards...knowing that person will catch you. I'm not afraid of death, because I know that God, the Creator of all things, my Father, will catch me in His open and welcoming arms.
Try to imagine someone that you, in your life, have loved more than life itself. Imagine not having been able to see, touch or hold that person for a painful amount of time. Imagine that reunion, the anticipation and the joy of coming together after having been apart for so long. Multiply that feeling times an infinite number and that is the way I imagine it will be when we are finally in our Fathers arms. Fear it? No. I long for it.

Father,
I come before You with an open heart this morning, asking You to see the depths of my heart and forgive me of any sins lurking there. I give my heart to You this morning and I ask that it be made pure.
Father, I rejoice in the knowledge that one day, I will be in Your loving arms and I will be at the only true home which You have created and designed with Your children in mind. I praise You with every breathe I take. I give this life to You, be it as it is. I thank You for those I can reach and I pray that their day will be filled with Your love, Your desire in their heart and Your joy in each step they take. Help us, Lord, to keep our eyes trained on you, our minds focused on Your destination for us, and our hearts filled with Your joy so that we may share it with others.
In the blessed name of my Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.

A Couple of Birds

I was walking outside today, taking out some trash. It's such a gorgeous day here, warm and sunny. Beautiful. As I start to walk back inside, I notice two large blackbirds walking across my sidewalk, side by side. Both have their heads up towards that warming sunshine. I'd watered my front yard this morning pretty good, and there had been a lot of birds out getting wet and later, looking for food. These two big birds just walked together, across my sidewalk, into the grass and hopped into the road together. They were so peaceful to watch. I just leaned on the hood of my car and watched them. I could feel the warmth of the sun on my back and I was enjoying this so much, don't ask me why, I just was. The birds took their time walking across the street, making one small circle in the middle of the road, then hopped the sidewalk across the street and into my neighbors yard. I was smiling watching them, watching the sun shine off the blackness of their feathers.
I hear someone in the background ask "What'cha doing?". I was so focused on the birds, I didn't notice anyone else around me. My next door neighbor had been watching me, watch the birds. I just laughed and told her that I was bird watching and she said 'but those are just old blackbirds'.
I sort of felt sorry for her when she said that. I'd only spent a few minutes of my time watching them, but they gave me some pleasure...a joy inside just taking my time watching them enjoy the sun and each other. I suppose that's what is different in a lot of people and whether those people are happy or not. I'm truly grateful that I can appreciate the small things, that I find joy in simple pleasures and that I can look at something see the beauty within it rather than what is on the outside, what most of the world sees. "Just old blackbirds"? No, not to me.

Father,
I ask You to forgive me of my sins and any trespasses I have committed against others. I pray, Lord, that I would always be able to see Your love in all things You've created. I pray that I would never become so spoiled by the world that I would not be able to see what You have done and what you have created. I believe in simple pleasures, I believe in simple joy and I believe that You are visible in all things if we'd but take the time to look.
I love you, Father, with all that I am, with all that You've created me to be.
In the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Use Me

My Great Aunt Lottie had given me a pair of sherbert dishes that her ancestors had brought over from Germany. She gave these to me long before she died, telling me (and writing it in a note to me that I treasure) that she didn't want me to just put these up on a shelf to look at, but she wanted me to use and enjoy them as she and her husband had. I've not used them nearly enough.
I started collecting Roseville and McCoy pottery years ago. The more expensive the piece, the less I'd use it. Most of them were for display only. Then, I began collecting native American pottery, and there isn't a single piece that I use, they're all display only.
Awhile ago I was reading an article that we are vessels of God's Holy Spirit. Of course, I know how loved we are by the Father. We are precious to Him, He paid a great price for us. We were very expensive for Him, and yet He paid that price. I know without a doubt that He treasures us and wants us safe and out of harms way, just as all fathers want for their children. However, we were created for a reason, we were created for His glory. We are vessels of His love.
This got me to thinking about all those empty 'vessels' I have bought over the years to set up on a shelf and be admired, but not used. I never want to be that kind of vessel. I want to be used, to be filled up time and time again. I understand that it will result in some wear and tear, but that will only make me more precious in my Fathers eyes. My pottery that sits on the shelves...will my kids appreciate them more when they are passed down to them because they remember them having their turns on a shelf, or because they remember using them while they grew up?
My Great Aunt Lottie was a smart (and very strong Christian) woman. She told me many years ago that something worthy was worth being used for the reason it was created. I want to be worthy, and I am so grateful that God finds me worth using. I don't want to spend my life sitting on the shelf of life. I want to be used over and over and over again. Let those cracks and chips that come with being used be a badge of my faithfulness and of my love for my Father.

Father,
I ask You to forgive me of my shortcomings, my errors and mistakes. I thank You for Your mercy and Your grace that covers me completely.
I thank You, Lord, for the opportunities you have blessed me with to be used by You, to do Your will and Your bidding. I can think of no greater honor than to be used by You. Forgive me for the years that I spent sitting on the worlds shelf, concerned only with my own value to myself. When I realized how empty that life was, I realized it was because I, myself, was empty. Asking You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit, Lord, was one of the most important moments in my life. You, being forever faithful, filled me to overflowing, and my life has never been the same. For that, Father, I thank You. You are an amazing Father, You are my God and all that I do, let me do it for You.
In the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

Prayers

I have a lot of non Christian blogger friends...in life, not so much. Like minded and all that. I don't know why it's different in blogland. However, I find myself praying more for my blogland friends than my 'in life' friends. I don't know why. Perhaps because when we blog, we sometimes find it easier to open ourselves up emotionally. There is a veil of anonymity. In life, sometimes you have to reveal more than you want exposed when you're in need of prayer. I understand that. There are things I don't want to share about myself to my Mom-in-law, to some of my friends or even my husband. Thankfully, I can go directly to God, He already knows the worst, and loves me still. People are not so forgiving.
I think that is why in blogland we open ourselves up more. We don't see the look of a readers disapproval, we don't feel the cold of the readers back being turned on us. Therefore, with the freedom to express our thoughts and tell the secrets of our lives without being held accountable for them in 'real' life, we are more apt to open up. And, because of this, I have more of an idea where someone may be in need of prayer in their life. Health, loneliness, fear, regret...we lay it all out in blogland. God is able to use all things for the good of His Children, and when we seek His guidance, He is able to use us too.

Father,
Forgive me, Lord, for the mistakes I've made. I ask You to be in control of my life, to be the Head of my life, to be the Voice that I listen to and the Road that I travel. I thank You for each and every tool that enables us to lift one another up. I thank You, Father, for the hunger you've given me to help others, to meet the needs of others when I can, and to share Your love with others. This world was empty and cold for me, Father, before I asked You into my life. I pray that the chains that bind so many, the veil that blinds so many and the fear that imprisons so many would be removed and that Your love and Your light would be born within them. I pray that Your Spirit would set their spirits on fire, a Holy and Righteous fire that would give their life meaning, direction, hope and the ultimate joy. All these things I have found in You, Father.
In the Holy name of my Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray and give You thanks. Amen.