OF GIFTS AND GIVERS

I love to get presents. I will be a kid forever when it comes to receiving gifts. When I find out someone has a present for me, I can't wait to open it. Christmas is especially difficult because most of the time you have to wait "forever" to open those beautifully wrapped parcels. You have to look at them every day until finally, you are given permission to rip that paper off! I enjoy giving gifts almost as much. At Christmas, birthday parties, baby showers, you name it, I anxiously await (well sometimes I might say something like, "That one's from me. Why don't you open it NOW!") the opening of my specially selected item. I get excited because I have usually thought through all the aspects of how the gift will be utilized and what a blessing I think it will be to the person. It is especially fun when it is something you know they have been desiring for some time. Then there are the facial expressions that are priceless. I remember my oldest daughter wanting so badly this beautiful white jacket with embroidering and fur lined hood. We purchased it and hung it in a doorway. The time came and she entered the room. There is no comparison to the joy on her face at that moment. That jacket may have meant nothing to another little girl, but to my little girl, it meant all the world. I was thinking this morning about an instance where the Gift and the Giver are one in the same. John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he GAVE his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Those of us who know the truth, know that God is the Giver and Jesus is the Gift. We also know that: "...anyone who has seen me has seen the Father...", John 14:9. "In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.", John 1:1. I like the New Living Translation of John 1:14, "So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son." God, Jesus, the Word... one in the same. Now the Gift: "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with GREAT EXPECTATION and we have a priceless inheritance--an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.", I Peter 1:3 & 4. Talk about a Gift! Now, a really fun way to give a gift is to put all kinds of smaller gifts into a large box. The recipient opens each one with anticipation as to what comes next. "Oh, wow! There's another... and another!" And it goes on and on. 2 Peter tells us that he has given us "all things we need for life and Godliness" and "he has given us great and precious promises" so that we can become more and more like him. The Gift and the Giver has given us the privilege to be a Gift and a Giver. Finally, "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.", Ephesians 5:1. Be the Gift and the Giver of the Good News, showing the way to Eternal Life which begins now with the Kingdom of God being Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit! Hand others the BOX and watch in anticipation as they receive, as you have received. Everyone wants the gifts that bring real life: "Faith, hope and love and the Greatest of these is LOVE." 

A Better Way or are you "Stuck"?

There are a couple of sayings that I like to use."Sumpim' bump your head?" and "Coulda had a V8!". Now I know there are a couple of words that may not exist but I feel that they definitely fit the bill in these instances. I often use  them on myself when I realize I didn't think of a better way of doing something. Example: Living in an RV you have to be creative with space. We have a sweet feline furkid who has to use one of those all-so-necessary litter boxes. Having to keep it out of the reach of our Chihuahua, it abides in the bathtub when no baths are in process. For most of the time we have had her, I have had it in the end of the tub where the drain is located. I would cover the drain with a towel or put a plastic bag over the drain to keep scattered litter from going down it. Even at that, litter will slip by the protection when little Furkid (Teva) decides to have some fun in the box and fling litter everywhere off her  paws. The other day, I was cleaning out the box and disinfecting when all of a sudden a thought went through my mind: "Why not put it at the other end of the tub? Switch places with the laundry basket! It would be much easier to keep litter out of the drain." Guess what? Duh! "Sumpim' bump your head?" "Coulda had a V8!" That might seem like a strange example to use but we all live where the rubber meets the road and life is full of circumstances of varying degrees of importance that demand our attention and decision making skills. Sometimes we really just don't think about there being a better or easier way. Sometimes we are a "victim" of generational habits... "That's the way my family has always done it". Or, we just plain don't "think" it through. We just do what we do. I want to get better at taking myself out of auto-pilot. Now, granted, a lot of decisions are not rocket science as they say. They don't necessarily take great effort to come to the conclusion that you've chosen the best way. When it comes  to decisions of the heart we generally take more time to consider all the ramifications. What about Spiritually? Have we done the same thing the same way for years because it is the way we "do" it. Do we think we are too old to do something different? Do we think we have all the right answers. I love this quote from Billheimer, "Present interpretation and fresh revelation are always needed for life with a LIVING God." Jesus said, "I am the WAY...'' John 14:6. Maybe we have been walking with the Lord since we were a child or maybe we have recently responded to his wonderful, amazing love. We can still get "stuck" and miss out on some "better way". God is a Living, Creative, Perfect, All-Wise, All-Knowing Spirit, John 4:24. I pray for him to have his way; free reign in my life to show me, in every circumstance of this battle we are in, a better way. He is the Leader of our Faith. We are protected, covered and have the ability to Overcome any obstacle if we seek His Way. I know that when I walked in my own way, I was pretty miserable and didn't realize I was walking in darkness. When Christ opened my eyes and my heart to his love and made me aware that there was a better way, I might not have used those same sayings I mentioned above, but I did say, "Why didn't I see this before?" Sometimes we don't see. Sometimes it is a divine appointment like Mary at the tomb  thinking she was talking to the gardener when she was inquiring about the whereabouts of the Body of Jesus. It took Jesus to speak and open her eyes to his identity. We can pray our eyes be open and our minds quickened to a "BETTER WAY". We can pray for those we love to see there is a better way. We can go beyond looking at others lives and thinking our way would be better for them and asking God to show  HIS way  to them. God had and has a better way for the world than what the world originally got itself into. God had and has a better  way than the enemy of our souls has to offer . John 10:10: "The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that they might have life and life more abundantly." I CHOOSE THE WAY OF LIFE!  Stop, look and listen and see if there be a BETTER WAY!

I'm Only Human

How many times have you heard someone say, “I’m only human”? There are even songs written about it. Why do we say, “I’m ONLY human”? What I observe from my experience, that statement usually follows some action or word that we deem inappropriate. It’s a good excuse. After all, we are finite. We are not God. We are flesh and blood. What does it really mean to be human? First of all, we were created by God; created in His image. The most wonderful thing about being “human” is the fact that we have been given Freedom to choose. Most animals for instance, act out of instinct. We are fascinated to see many species that migrate hundreds of miles to give birth or lay eggs in the place designated by instinct to bring forth new life. Living in the Northwest, watching the huge gaggles of geese fly north or south depending on the season and the weather is an awesome sight, always accompanied by their loud honking. We humans on the other hand, do not operate on instinct but on choice. The greatest of these choices is Faith. Do we choose to believe God is? Do we choose to believe the Good News of the Gospel? “Without faith it is impossible to please God. He who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of  them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6. It’s our choice. Do we believe Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose again in three days? Do we believe we are forgiven?  It’s our choice. Oh, I agree that we have a lot of help from God to believe. He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith. If you read the Bible, you find out what privileges being a “human” Believer hold. We are given the “right to become His children”. We are “more than conquerors”. We are “joint heirs with Christ”. We will “rule and reign with Him”. We have been given the power to “say no” to ungodliness. We have been “delivered from the Kingdom of Darkness”. We have been “brought into the Kingdom of Light”. We have been “set free from the law of sin and death”. I could go on and on with all we have been given by the One who created us. I want to focus now on Titus Chapter 2, verses 11&12. God’s Grace, we are told in these verses, teaches us to say “NO” to the things for which we need to say “NO”. His Grace, “Unmerited Favor” and “Operational Power” is available to ALL of us ALL the time! “We’ve got the POWER, THE RIGHT AND THE PRIVILEGE” to be “HUMAN”.  “In our weakness, He is made strong”. So the next time you are tempted to say, “I’m only Human”, take a moment to think about what you are saying. Are you saying,” I can’t help but do those things or think those things I ought not”? Or are you saying, “I CAN do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me”. It should bring joy to our hearts to admit we are human. The synonym for human should be Winner or Victor! With God the Father, Jesus the Son and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, we cannot lose!

WHAT DO YOU WANT OUT OF LIFE?

What do you want out of life right now? Romans 14:17 says “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking but of Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit.” When we think of the Kingdom of God, we often think of the future i.e. Heaven. There is so much talk of God’s Love and Grace and Forgiveness all of which are amazingly valid. However, as it goes with the human race, we tend to let the pendulum swing way to one side or the other. We sing the little song, “Heaven is a wonderful place, filled with Glory and Grace. I wanna see my Savior’s face. Heaven is a wonderful place.” We can’t wait to get there. But, what about the here and now? We eat, we drink, we live. How? Is our attitude one of “I can live however I want because His Grace and Love forgive me”? Most of us who call ourselves Believers would say “’Heavens’ no”! Yet, in fact, how are we living? What are we allowing into our lives because we believe such? I have one of my first Bibles around the house somewhere and there is a note taped inside the cover. It goes something like this: “Anything that robs you of your closeness to Him, no matter how big or how small, to YOU it is sin.” Yes, God loves us, obviously! But, he is still a Father.  I have a friend who wrote this song years ago. One of the lines are, “I have a Father who watches over me. He kinda makes me tow the line but he also makes me free.” Freedom ironically comes from towing the line; line being the precepts of the Lord. Line upon line, precept upon precept we live. We literally live life to the fullest. Not with a life of self-gratification but of a life focused on building up the treasures that are eternal in value, the things of Righteousness, Peace and Joy. It is not humanly possible to exist without the desire for self-gratification. It is only possible as we walk and live according to the Spirit of God. Jude 17-22 with emphasis on verse 20: “But, you dear Friends, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” I want to make it clear. There is nothing wrong with self-gratitude, loving yourself and appreciating who you are. For those of you who understand my meaning, you deserve the last piece of pie on the plate. You have to love and forgive yourself to love and forgive others. I want the following verse ever before my spiritual eyes, “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. But, I have come that you might have life and life more abundantly.” Spoken by Jesus. I want to spur others on to be alert and watch out for the “thieves” who will rob you of the things of the Kingdom. I want to inherit the Kingdom now and for Eternity.

 

 



TOTAL PILLOW

I have trouble with my neck and have a terrible time coming up with a pillow that works for me. Well, recently I went to a local garage sale and low and behold, in a FREE box, there was a brand new TOTAL PILLOW. That is the one that was advertised on TV some time back that is scalloped around the edges and is shaped like a donut. I knew it was a "gift". It worked great! I used it in the bed and I used it in the recliner. I was so excited over this crazy little pillow. You can relate if you have ever had neck trouble! One evening while watching TV I noticed my foot rest on my chair was hung up on something. I kept trying to force it into place and it wouldn't go. Further investigation proved that my little pillow was hung up in the mechanism of the chair and I had torn a big hole in it. All the little beads were falling out on the floor. Needless to say, I was not happy. I have learned by my experience that nothing is quite the same when you have to sew it; glue it; tape it, etc. So, after a few seconds of grieving, I threw my "gift" into the garbage can. The giftedness of my little pillow continued beyond that point. I got to thinking about where we are when we come to the Lord and how we get sometimes even after walking with him for a considerable season. We get caught up in the trials of this life and the attacks of the enemy or our own unwise choices and we end up with a big hole in our heart. When God, our Creator looked upon us in the beginning, He said, "It is very good." Not just good, but very good. Philippians 1:6 says, "Being confident of this,He who began a good work in you will continue it  until the day of Jesus Christ..." In Psalm 139 we learn that he actually formed us in our mother's womb. God will NEVER look at us and say... "I guess I just have to throw that one in the trash." He is our Healer; our Deliverer. Nothing is too difficult for Him to fix. You may have been led to believe, as I was growing up, that you are stupid and you will never amount to anything. You may be believing the lie that you can't do anything right and that God is "having to put up with you". We are not junk. We are never broken beyond repair. We who believe are children of God and our Heavenly Father would never throw his children away. Some of the horror stories you hear of what earthly parents do to their children is unbelievably true. But, God is not an earthly parent. He is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That is hard for some to fathom because of the depth of their injuries. I, for one, have been healed from much. Jesus can be the center of what the Native Americans call the medicine wheel. We can be healed Spiritually, Emotionally, Physically, and Culturally. Don't allow yourself to be lied to any longer. You are not and will never be a "throw away". You are a highly valued, strongly loved, Child of the Living God... so valued that Jesus ran in front of all that was coming to bring death and gave His own life so that you and I can live abundantly, free and forever!

Generational Faith

A few days ago, I had the privilege of speaking to a fantastic group of Ladies. They were members of MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers). It was a joy to share my heart with them. I spoke on the importance of generational faith or passing your faith down to your children. The message was focused on the value of being a mother and the main Scripture was II Timothy 1:5. Paul told Timothy, "I have been reminded of your sincere faith which first lived in your Grandmother Lois and in your Mother Eunice and I am persuaded now lives in you also." Obviously, faith is not only passed down through the female gender of a family. There are many, many Scriptures that instruct a father to do the same. I shared a little of my own testimony of not growing up in an environment that lent to that inheritance. This does not mean that there was not some degree of "belief" in my parents. It just was not really spoken of or practiced. Therefore, for the most part, I was on my own to discover my faith. When I say "on my own", I grew to know that I wasn't ever truly on my own. Jesus was always there. The truth of God is alive and no matter how small the expression or word spoken, there is lasting power and life. When I was 19 years old, I gave birth to my second child, a son. He had serious problems with his lungs and was only able to survive for about 48 hours. Even now, as a parent, grandparent, great grandparent, I can still see my Dad speaking these words to me, "We know where he is" as we were leaving the little graveside service. I knew he meant Heaven. My Dad rarely spoke of the "Good Lord". My upbringing was pretty void of spiritual things. But when he did speak, as he did that sad day, he brought a sense of peace and hope to my downtrodden heart. It is never too late to pass Faith along to your children and anyone else you may encounter through this life. II Corinthians tell us that, "If any man (woman) be in Christ he is a new creation. Old things are passed away, behold, all things have become new". Proverbs 18:21 tells us that "Life and Death are in the Power of the Tongue...". I am grateful that I have been able to pass my Faith along to my children and now to my grandchildren and my greatgrandchildren. Even a small word can have an enormous impact in the hearts of the recipients. So, as I told the MOPS ladies: "Be real and do  your best knowing your best is only accomplished through Jesus. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 These are difficult days and it is critical that our children have a strong foundation of Truth to stand on in a world permeated with confusion. To save them from falling into the abyss of instability this life can bring, we can throw them the lifeline of security that comes from knowing Jesus and His Word and holding on!

WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

What's LOVE got to do with it? Everything! Love brings everything around to the simple answer. Real love takes away all the clutter and complications. "For God so Loved....". Love is unselfish. It brings things into focus and takes away all the questions. Love is an action word that comes with practice. I remember a time about 40 years ago when I first came to the knowledge of the Love of Jesus. My life was turned upside down by that knowledge. I was asked to share the reason for my life-change with the sister of a relative of mine. I was excited to share. The only problem was, I was carrying around a lot of misconceptions. I thought I needed to look a certain way and sound a certain way to make an impression. The truth of the matter was, she just needed to hear the words and sense the truth. I had my focus on "me". How did I look? What was I wearing? Did my hair look right? Was I sounding "cool"? Fortunately, God can work through all of that. As we mature in the Lord and in Life, we learn that Love is not about performance orientation. If you look at real Love, it is not focused on self but on others. Healthy love of self comes by believing what God says about us in His Word. He tells us that we are so valued that he gave his Son, Jesus, to die in our place, deserving nothing short of death ourselves. He loves us enough to have given the ultimate sacrifice to bring us into relationship with Him, namely to be called Sons and Daughters. Love is a state of being... in Christ. As we understand that aspect, we are free  to direct our focus onto others. It begins to come naturally. Being less self-focused brings a peace that opens our eyes to the needs of others and enables us to recognize their needs are  not unlike our own. We all need Love. Enveloped in that Love is Grace and Forgiveness. When we attempt to operate under the performance/perfection model as opposed to the simple and real Love model, we will feel like failures as the afflictions of humanity make their way into our lives such as aging, physical afflictions, loss of ability or agility, bouts of depression or dealing with the normal "seasons" of life. Love is a constant and is not affected by change. There is no end to it. Love is eternal. "For God so Loved the World that he Gave His only Begotten Son that Whoever Believes in Him should not Perish but have Eternal Life." John 3:16. God is Love. As we Know Love we can Give Love. Pure and simple without the maze of clutter and complications. This CHRISTMAS and ALWAYS, let's remember that Love has EVERYTHING to do with it." Love Endures Forever." "Love the Lord you God with all your heart, soul mind and strength and Love you neighbor as yourself."