Category: Relationship

Posted on

A Warm Fire

Have you ever been in the desert on a cold clear night? How about in the desert on a hot blazing day? I have found that the desert is a formidable environment, much more so than the cold mountains.

In Montana we faced some -35 degree temperatures in the winter but in Arizona we have lived through many 110+ degree days. Two things were always welcomed, a good shade and a warm fire.

When I read my Bible I put myself in the story and look around at the terrain, the people, the circumstances. Many years ago I was reading in the book of Exodus and there I saw God’s faithfulness. It was right here in this verse.

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” Exodus 13:21-22 KJV

Do you see God’s faithfulness? It’s right there in the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. The one thing you need in the desert in the day time is shade and the thing you really need at night is warmth. God provided both.

God told Moses that His name is I AM. I AM your shade and I AM your warmth. Our loving heavenly Father is in the details. He was also I AM your compass or GPS, “follow the cloud and I will not recalculate”. God had the “cloud” before the internet.

This was a big cloud. He was able to keep all the people covered, over 600,000. He is the same loving God today and He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. We won’t be abandoned physically, emotionally or spiritually. The Lord provides a covering for us in all areas of our life.

“Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6 MSG

Some people get hung up on the “be free from the love of money” aspect of this verse and think that God doesn’t want us to have anything. To the contrary, He wants us focused on Him, He is the giver of every good and perfect gift, He is I AM; so with His promise to never leave us or abandon us we will be well supplied.

The Israelites needed warmth and shade. We may need peace and joy, strength and health, forgiveness and love, prosperity and protection, wisdom and favor. Whatever it is, our God is still the I AM who provides for all our needs.

Stay under the cloud of His provision. It is the shade and warmth we need.

Posted on

New Passwords

It was a long and tedious day. A day where I had scheduled my time to be at the computer, a day I was not looking forward too but it was a job that needed to be done. I had to change and/or update my passwords! Egad! I would rather clean the toilets or the oven, pull weeds or wash baseboards but there it was on my “to do” list. Change passwords…

Some sites require us to change our passwords more frequently than others and these always seem to be the ones that say you can’t use a previous password. Really? I haven’t used that password since 1927 but no, I can’t use it again. I’ve seen advertising for those password randomizers, I know nothing about them, but I don’t trust them. They would give me a series of letters, numbers and characters that are unrelated to me and that wouldn’t be good. So there I sat, all day, from midmorning until later afternoon.

Was I finished? I thought so but in the middle of the night I realized there were still a few more that needed my attention so I will be back at it again today. There is one thing that gives me hope; there is one site I access often and that password never changes.

“But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:33 NLT

“Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” Jeremiah 33:3 NLT

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” John 14:6-7 NLT

Access to our heavenly Father requires but one, never changing password

J E S U S

Whenever I have a problem or a special joy I want to share all I have to do is use that name and I’m in! Jesus, thank you. Jesus, help. Jesus, take the wheel. Jesus, I’m sorry. Jesus, I need ______.

I am secure! No hacker can enter. No one can counterfeit my personal data or steal my identity. He knows me. He knows my name and the number of hairs on my head. My life is protected and it’s not just for me it’s for everyone but we must all use the same password.

“But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Acts 2:21 NLT

Thank you Jesus!

Posted on

Life Lived Well

We all desire to have a good life but what does that mean? To some it brings images of wealth and nice things while others see health, physical well being and strength. Still others will envision a happy family and peaceful contentment.

What is the good life to you?

Each time I listen to my mother talk about her upbringing I know that she has experienced the “good life”. Her family wasn’t wealthy but they were rich in love. Her home was modest in furnishings but lavishly decorated with peace, kindness and caring. I can only hope that my children and grandchildren will speak of me with the same love and affection that my mother expresses for her parents and grandparents.

The book of Proverbs gives us many insightful verses on life. Verses on a life well lived and instruction on what is truly important.

“Any bragger you correct will only hate you. But if you correct someone who has common sense, you will be loved. 9 If you have good sense, instruction will help you to have even better sense. And if you live right, education will help you to know even more. 10 Respect and obey the Lord! This is the beginning of wisdom. To have understanding, you must know the Holy God. 11 I am Wisdom. If you follow me, you will live a long time. 12 Good sense is good for you, but if you brag, you hurt yourself.” Proverbs 9:8-12 CEV

If we follow wisdom we are promised a long life. A good life. Jesus said he came to give us an abundant life.

“I am Wisdom—Common Sense is my closest friend;  I possess knowledge  and sound judgment. 13 If you respect the Lord, you will hate evil. I hate pride and conceit and deceitful lies…What you receive from me is more valuable than even the finest gold or the purest silver. 20 I always do what is right, 21 and I give great riches to everyone who loves me…Pay attention, my children! Follow my advice, and you will be happy. 33 Listen carefully to my instructions,  and you will be wise. Come to my home each day and listen to me. You will find happiness.” Proverbs 8:12-13, 19-21, 32-34 CEV

There is much to learn by listening to and applying God’s word. Wisdom will be our constant companion and we will have joy. That truly is a life well lived!

Posted on

Honoring Our Mother & Father

We’ve had the pleasure of having my mother with us for the last ten days. She is ninety-six and lives about four hours away. It’s been so good to have her here. During her stay we were visited by our youngest daughter and her family on one weekend and this last weekend our son came to see Gram. Our oldest daughter wasn’t able to make it, she was out-of-state welcoming her first granddaughter into the world.

Mom was so blessed to be surrounded by her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She had a big smile on her face most of the time. (She got weary at times and took a nap, I did too.) Mom held the littlest one in her arms, watched the two and four year old play, told stories to the adult grandchildren of their childhoods and relived the milestones of her life with them. It was amazing!

It was truly a wonderful expression of one of God’s commands.

“You must honor your father and your mother. The Lord your God has commanded you to do this. If you follow this command, you will live a long time, and everything will go well for you in the land that the Lord your God gives you.” Deuteronomy 5:16 ERV

Mom will be with us one more day and I will miss not having her here. She lives with my sister and her family; they take very good care of her. I will miss tucking her in at night and praying with her. Very few adults my age are blessed to still have living parents.

But we all have a loving heavenly Father. He is our Father who lives forever and who is as close to us as our next breath. He desires to tell us stories of His past. In fact, He wrote them down and put them in a wonderful book for us to read, the Bible. He wants to tell us all about His plans for our life, the good things He has in store.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.” Jeremiah 29:11-12 NLT

There are several words in the Bible that can be interchanged for the word honor; praise and bless are just two of them. We honor the Lord when we obey Him; when we magnify or exalt His word above all others we honor Him.

“I will honor the Lord at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth. 2 My soul will be proud to tell about the Lord. Let those who suffer hear it and be filled with joy. 3 Give great honor to the Lord with me. Let us praise His name together.” Psalm 34:1-3 NLV

As long as our parents are living we should give them honor and as long as we are living we should give our Father honor and praise. It’s just the right thing to do.

Posted on

Oceans of Love

Not everyone enjoys celebrating Valentine’s Day. We need to try and make the day a little easier, a little brighter for them.

Some have been betrayed by someone who said they loved them. That kind of betrayal brings a deep kind of hurt. Some have been hurt too many times in life and have no desire to go on. While others have lost the love of their life to death.

I’m sorry, truly sorry, for those who have experienced this kind of pain.

Jesus knows that kind of hurt too. He experienced the worst from those He loved and His heart broke when He lost someone he loved to death. He was betrayed, despised, rejected and abandoned. He experienced these things while in His earthly body so He could be a comfort to us.

“He heals those who have a broken heart. He heals their sorrows. ” Psalm 147:3 NLT

He promises to never leave us, never forsake us! He has promised to heal the broken hearted! If you’re having a hard time with Valentine’s Day, go to Him. Give Jesus your heart and let Him bring healing and wholeness. Then celebrate the day with your forever Valentine.

“The Spirit of the Lord God has taken control of me! The Lord has chosen and sent me to tell the oppressed the good news, to heal the brokenhearted, and to announce freedom for prisoners and captives. 2 This is the year when the Lord God will show kindness to us and punish our enemies. The Lord has sent me to comfort those who mourn” Isaiah 61:1-2 CEV

Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. God’s love is big enough for all of us. It is a deep and wide as the oceans and it will never run dry.

“I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.” Ephesians 3:17-19 ERV

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted on

My Favorite Place

Where do you abide?

Abide is an old fashioned word that isn’t used very often anymore. A person’s home was often referred to as their abode. Webster’s Dictionary defines the word abide as this: “to remain stable or fixed in a state; to continue in a place”. In other words, it means to stay put or be established, to put down roots.

Putting down roots is different than just going for a visit. Abiding has a sense of permanence. It implies that we are established or settled in. It can be a physical place such as our home or our city but it can also be a place of emotional stability.

Did you know that we can settle in to, be established and abide in love? We are encouraged to make it our home.

As a child I moved frequently. My dad was a construction worker; he operated heavy equipment and for years he was employed on road construction projects. As the road advanced toward the next town, we moved. The one thing that always moved with us was the love of my parents. We lived in a trailer but love was our abode.

Life surrounds us with things that are temporary but God gives us a permanent abiding place.

“I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home (*abide) in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain (abide) intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home (abide) in his love.” John 15:9-10 MSG

*abide is the word used in the old English, King James version of the Bible.

We can look at God’s love as if it were a home, our home. We can open the front door, walk in, sit down and know are welcomed there. This home of love provides us with protection and security. It protects us from life’s storms. It is a place of well-being.

“Those who live (*abide) in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” Psalm 91:1-2 NLT

The door’s open – you can move in today. God’s love is a permanent place to abide!

Posted on

Start the Day with Love

What’s the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning?

I look for my robe and slippers. Then I take Glory out of our room, close the door so we don’t wake Dave and head to the back door to let her out. I bring her back in, feed her, get my coffee (the auto start feature is wonderful), grab my Bible, my computer and I sit down for my quiet time. However, the first thing I see is the clock. If it’s too early I try to roll over and go back to sleep for a while. That’s the way every morning has started for the last eleven years.

But, the first thing I do each morning is take time before I get out of bed to say my I love you’s. “I love you Father, I love you Jesus, I love you Holy Spirit. Good morning.” I start each day with love.

As I was reading in the Psalms I found a comment by King David at the end of Psalm 17.

“When I awake, all I want is to see you as you are.” Psalm 17:15 CEV

To see you as you are! Psalm 17 is another one of David’s psalms of praise – thanking the Lord for being his strength, his defender, his protector, his creator. How much better would our day go if we just focused physically and spiritually on seeing God as He is?

“I pray to you, God, because you will help me. Listen and answer my prayer! 7 Show your wonderful love. Your mighty arm protects those who run to you for safety from their enemies. 8 Protect me as you would your very own eyes; hide me in the shadow of your wings… 14 You provide food for those you love. Their children have plenty, and their grandchildren will have more than enough. 15 I am innocent, Lord, and I will see your face! When I awake, all I want is to see you as you are.” Psalm 17:6-8, 14-15 CEV

Today there may be many things fighting for our attention but when we focus, when we set our heart and mind to see God, we can start our day with our loving heavenly Father and see Him as who He is!

Posted on

Playing Favorites

Yesterday there was lots of excitement at our house. First thing in the morning we learned that our first great granddaughter had been born. She is five weeks early but perfect in every way.

A few hours later our youngest daughter, son-in-love and three youngest grandchildren arrived for a weekend visit. My ninety-six year old mother is here and they came to spend some time with her and with us.

A busy house indeed.

There was a short space in time during the mid afternoon that Mom was resting and so were two of the grandkids. The youngest, 3 1/2 months old, was in my lap while I was looking at a text message with pictures of our first great grandchild. WOW! I was overwhelmed by the blessings I have received from the Father. Three children, their mates, five grandchildren and one great grandchild! My heart is full and my cup runs over.

After our first daughter was born I wondered if I would have as much room in my heart for a second child as I did for her. I found that with each child my heart grew and there was always enough love to go around. The same holds true with the grandkids; my love capacity increases with the size of our family and there are no favorites. Each one is unique, each one is treasured and each one is loved with the same depth and intensity.

Did you know our heavenly Father is like that? He has no favorites. He loves you and me as much as He loves Jesus. We are His children too. He adopted us and placed us in the family as joint-heirs with Jesus. Listen to Jesus’ prayer on the night He was taken to be crucified.

“I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. 21 Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. 23 I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.

24 “Father, I want these people you have given me to be with me in every place I am. I want them to see my glory—the glory you gave me because you loved me before the world was made. 25 Father, you are the one who always does what is right. The world does not know you, but I know you, and these followers of mine know that you sent me. 26 I showed them what you are like, and I will show them again. Then they will have the same love that you have for me, and I will live in them.” John 17:20-26 ERV

I highlighted in bold type face two specific incidents where Jesus mentioned that we have been given the same love from the Father that He received. Imagine that! God, the Father, creator of heaven and earth; all powerful, ever present, all knowing God who loved Jesus, HIs Son, and loves us with the same depth of love. We know this is for us and not just those who lived in Bible times because Jesus said it was. Those are His words, not mine.

We may feel that we have been treated unfairly in life, that our path has been skewed by partiality and favoritism. That very well may be. We may have been the last one picked for the ball team, overlooked for a promotion or completely ignored because we didn’t attend the right school or live on the right side of town. People make judgements based on prejudice, they shouldn’t but they do.

But God…God doesn’t play favorites! He loves us with an everlasting love!

Posted on

You ARE Loved

I’ve not met anyone yet who never felt like they weren’t on their own and all alone at least once in their life. It might be just a moments thought or that thought could lead to depression that lasts a few days/months/years or it could be such a devastating thought that they come to the verge of suicide. I don’t think there is one person who has ever escaped the haunting question of “Am I loved?”.

Let me answer that with a loud and resounding – YES! Yes, you are.

“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!” Romans 8:15-27 The Message

God loves us so much He adopted us; He made us one of His own. We will certainly have tough times, Jesus did too. However, we have God’s promise to go through it with us. He won’t leave us. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from God’s love.

“So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture…None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” Romans 5:31-39 The Message

This is the greatest Valentine’s message we will ever receive. As it says in the verse above I am absolutely convinced that nothing – absolutely nothing can get between me and God’s love for me. Nothing! These words were written by Paul, the apostle. The same man who arrested Christians and had them taken to their death. He knew first hand that nothing will separate us from God’s love.

I hope Valentine’s Day just took on new meaning. You ARE loved. I was at a low place once and I heard this message, “with God you will never be alone and you will always be loved”. That changed my life forever.

It’s not my responsibility to make myself good enough for God. Only He can do that and He did it when He sent His Son for me and then adopted me into His family.

Who can separate you from the love of God? Absolutely no one or nothing, you ARE loved!

Posted on

Wait and See

When Dave and I were dating he lived in California and I lived in Arizona. This was in the “olden” days before cell phones, text messaging and internet. Our communication had to be done the old-fashioned way with land lines and mail service.

Each morning on my way to work I would wonder if there would be a letter waiting when I got home. We had to be conservative with our telephone time; long distance calls were expensive. Every day was exciting. I would wait to see what had been on his heart when he wrote me a letter.

None of us are mind readers; we can imagine what we would like someone to say but until those words are expressed the best we can do is guess. Sometimes we do that with God. We think we can never really know what’s on God’s heart or what He’s thinking. Often, we have had a wrong impression of who God is or what He does.

But let me tell you there is a way to know what is on God’s mind and in His heart. It’s in the love letters that He writes to us and we can read them each day.

“The Holy Writings say, “No eye has ever seen or no ear has ever heard or no mind has ever thought of the wonderful things God has made ready for those who love Him.” 10 God has shown these things to us through His Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who looks into all things, even the secrets of God, and shows them to us. 11 Who can know the things about a man, except a man’s own spirit that is in him? It is the same with God. Who can understand Him except the Holy Spirit? 12 We have not received the spirit of the world. God has given us His Holy Spirit that we may know about the things given to us by Him.” I Corinthians 2:9-12 NLV

The Father has wonderful things in store for us who love Him and He has given us the Spirit to show us from God’s Word what they are. We should get up each morning with an excitement and anticipation to see the wonderful things that God has for us.

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

God’s word is our love letter. I can’t wait to see what He’s written to me today!

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress