Category: Relationship

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An Audience with the King

I have a very strong image of God, the Father, as my heavenly father. I often see Him in my mind’s eye, sitting with me, as a father does with his daughter. There is a familiarity that comes with the closeness of His love. It gives me great comfort.

Then I come across verses that I read this morning and if brings me back to the fact that my Father, my heavenly Father, is the ruler of the universe. There is no power greater than His.

He reigns in majesty!

“Our Lord, you are King! Majesty and power are your royal robes. You put the world in place,
  and it will never be moved. 2 You have always ruled, and you are eternal.

3 The ocean is roaring, Lord! The sea is pounding hard. 4 Its mighty waves are majestic,
  but you are more majestic, and you rule over all. 5 Your decisions are firm, and your temple will always be beautiful and holy.” Psalm 93 CEV

You have always ruled…always. And He still does!

I remember the words from a movie I like. The king has disguised himself as a commoner so he could live among his subjects. At a climaxing moment in the movie, he reveals himself as king. He makes this statement, “I am king and as such my words are incontestable”!

The words of a king are law and as such they are not to be argued with. What he says is established.

Our Father, the King, has established His word forever.

“The sky and the earth won’t last forever, but my words will.” Matthew 24:35 CEV

The stars are held in place by his word, the seas hold their ebb by his word, the sun rises and sets according to his word. We can put our trust in His word and know that He will not lie and He will not change. His word is incontestable!

That gives me great confidence and hope. The Almighty God, the One who was, who is and who will always be, is the ruling force behind the words I base my life on. There is no one, no force of nature, no government, no other power who can stop His word from coming to pass.

“Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:15-16 CEV

We are invited to come bravely before the throne of Almighty God and find help. He has extended the invitation. We have full access to an audience with the King!

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Goodness – Gracious

My new backyard has me looking at the Superstition Mountains. Each morning and evening when I look at their majesty, I find myself using an old expression, Goodness Gracious. That’s something my grandmother would have said.

I started thinking – what does that really mean? When she said it, it would have meant
“God, you are so good; look at the beauty You have designed”.

What does it mean to be gracious? Some definitions are godly character, kindness, dignity, mericiful, compassionate. Gracious – displaying grace.

Nature is a display of God’s goodness and grace.

So what is grace?

Grace: receiving the goodness of God that we don’t deserve. It is given freely with no strings attached. The grace of God took Jesus to the cross long before we were ever born so that we could be brought into right relationship with the Father.

In II Peter 3, the entire chapter is written about the return of the Lord to earth. Peter says that some will grow weary waiting, others will call it foolish but he admonishes us to be ready. God is not willing that any should perish but He desires that all should repent. The reason it’s taking so long for Him to return is the Father wants all to come to salvation in Him. He wants everyone to experience His grace; He is gracious!

We are to grow in grace. That doesn’t mean we acquire more grace but that we understand the scope of God’s grace to a greater extent. When we are born human, we have all the “humanness” we will ever have but we grow in our capacity to understand and function in our humanity. It’s the same with our life given to us by grace.

As we grow in our knowledge of the Father, we see more clearly how His grace is given to each and everyone of us. We see that He has provided for us through His amazing love and goodness. He is merciful and He is gracious (full of grace). We are to be like Him. Growing in grace causes us to see that our failures and those of others are covered by His grace and so we can go forward, forgiving as we ourselves have been forgiven.

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” II Peter 3:18 KJV

or maybe you understand it better this way

“Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.” II Peter 3:18 CEV

I pray that you have “goodness – gracious” moments in your day. Things that take your breath away – things that remind you of God’s goodness and grace!

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Quiet the Roar

Do you get tired of all the noise? The TV blaring, traffic, the noise at work, the negative conversations. Then there are the noises in our own heads, the unanswered “what if’s”. All of these are trying to steal our peace.

I guess that’s why I love early mornings so much – no sounds except the coffee pot, the refrigerator, and my Father and I talking heart to heart.  I love it! It seems to put everything in perspective.

I’ve been asked why I get up so early – habit, years of habit. Now that I’m retired, I’m glad that rising early was a practice I started when I had small children, was a home-schooling mom, had a business to run and all the daily chores that so many of you do. Rising early gave me time to focus on what’s important, on the One who is most important and who can walk me through each part of my day.

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 KJV

I know I share a lot on being still. I guess that’s because I need to be reminded to keep focused on God’s peace.

In the first few verses of Psalm 46 the Psalmist talks about all the noise – the mountains rumble, the oceans roar, the earth quakes and wars rage. Sounds like the headlines from today’s news. But he also goes on to say that we don’t have to be afraid because God is our refuge and strength – a help in times of trouble!

“God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble. 2 And so, we won’t be afraid! Let the earth tremble and the mountains tumble into the deepest sea. 3 Let the ocean roar and foam, and its raging waves shake the mountains. 4 A river and its streams bring joy to the city, which is the sacred home of God Most High. 5 God is in that city, and it won’t be shaken. He will help it at dawn. 6 Nations rage! Kingdoms fall! But at the voice of God the earth itself melts. 7 The Lord All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. 8 Come! See the fearsome things the Lord has done on earth.9 God brings wars to an end all over the world. He breaks the arrows, shatters the spears, and burns the shields. 10 Our God says, ‘Calm down, and learn that I am God! All nations on earth will honor me.’
11 The Lord All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46 CEV

Stop the noise today – pull aside and be still and know your God!

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He Brews

This morning’s blog could also be entitled, “Where There’s a Will There’s A Way”, but since it’s about coffee I went with what I thought was a cuter title.

Rarely is our home without coffee so you can imagine my shock when I discovered Friday morning that I had no more coffee stored in the freezer. The canister had enough for Saturday’s pot and then we were out. Our favorite coffee has been missing from our grocery store shelves.

What to do? I went on-line and did what any self-respecting coffee drinker would do, I ordered from Amazon with a promise of next day delivery. It must have been the late hour I ordered or the fear of not having coffee for this morning’s brew but in my haste I didn’t see that I ordered coffee beans.

Yesterday when the order arrived Dave brought it in from the driver and the look on his face was puzzling. He asked, “you ordered coffee beans?”. No…but I had. We don’t have a coffee grinder, ugh. Dave laughed and said, “well, you can always beat them with a hammer”. Not funny!

No problem, I have a food processor. Oh yes, that’s what I did, I’m embarrassed to admit it but it’s true. It wasn’t ground fine enough to get a good brew but there is coffee in the pot this morning and that’s all that matters. I have Dave’s promise that we will go to town and buy a coffee grinder. (I just sold one we never used in a garage sale before we moved.)

I could have gone to town yesterday and bought coffee but not my favorite blend. I could have gone to town yesterday late after my coffee order arrived and bought a grinder but I’m more determined and resourceful than that.

This morning as I was sipping my weak cup of coffee and thinking about what to share the words He Brews came to mind and I knew I had to share my blight but first I needed a verse to tie it all together.

“6 But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.” Hebrews 11:6 CEV

I went through all the above to satisfy my palate for a pot of my favorite coffee. What amount of time and effort I am willing to expend in searching for God who satisfies my soul?

Why is it hard some mornings to sit down and pick up my Bible and study? Time spent in the Word is much more beneficial than a second-rate grinding of coffee beans. People are hurting; they’ve lost loved ones. Parents have lost newborns; spouses have lost their mates. Mental anguish has invaded homes in a similar manner to cancer invading a body; we need to be able to give hope to those who have lost theirs.

When we believe that God is real, we must search for Him. When we search for Him, we will find Him – He’s not hiding, and He will reward us in our search. He will replace our pain with His peace, our confusion with His comfort, our fear with His forgiveness, our loneliness with His love.

If the silliness of my search for coffee taught you anything I hope it was this; put your efforts into searching out the things that have eternal value. Coffee is good but God is great!

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Don’t Forget What You See

Have you looked in the mirror this morning? That reflection first thing in the morning can be a bit unnerving. Everything seems a bit undone after a night of sleep. It takes time to get things in order – hair, makeup, men need to shave, etc.

I am reminded of what James says about looking into a mirror.

“Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it. 23 If you hear the message and don’t obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror 24 and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. 25 But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget.” James 1:22-25 CEV

We are quite intent on having everything look good when we stand in front of a mirror but are we just as intent when we look into the Word of God. The Bible gives us instruction on how God sees us. He was us to reflect His character to the world.

King Solomon put it this way in Proverbs 23:7. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:”

If we see ourselves as God sees us and we meditate on His word, we will be victorious when the battles and the challenges come. Let’s look at a few things the Bible tells us about ourselves:

…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

…My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.

…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

…If God be for us, who can be against us

…the thief comes but to steal, kill and destroy but I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly

…if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally

…He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed

…(Abraham) And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

God tells us that the battle is in our minds and we are to renew them to His way of thinking and not to be caught up in man’s natural way of thinking.

“Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. 2 Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.” Romans 12:1-2 ERV

In preparing for the day, take a little longer looking into the mirror of God’s word. Let the image that He has created for us be the one we hold in your heart. Like Abraham, let’s be fully persuaded that what God has promised He will do.

Don’t forget what the Father sees in us and who He created us to be!

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Dig Deeper

This morning I found myself praying for those we will be working with this upcoming summer at the campground. I was texting a friend a couple days ago and we agreed that the mountain and the lake are home.

It’s where we are comfortable and enjoy being. It’s a place of peace but not without a few challenges. The month of June we were under a red alert. The fire danger was high and only propane fires were allowed outside. Even generators were reduced in their hours of use. Finally, the order came to evacuate the campground. The fire danger was too high to allow campers to stay. Everyone had to leave. We camp hosts were sequestered in one area that had several routes of ingress and egress. For two weeks we lived with Ready-Set-Go evacuation orders.

On July 7 we were allowed to go back to our campgrounds and prepare for campers’ arrival just a few days later. The weather had changed. We had now gone from dry dangerous conditions to thunderstorms and flooded campsites. But everyone seemed to be in good spirits, hardly a complaint, we were all so grateful for the rains that came each day.

But one day the rain came, and it didn’t stop in a few hours like it normally did. It rained all day and all night and into the next day. We joked that very shortly we would be building an ark. Our campground is elevated above the entrance and there are run off channels throughout the campground which bring the water downhill and to the lake. It was an efficient way to handle the normal run off but not this time, there was too much water.

So, what’s all this got to do with my prayer time? Glad you asked. I was telling the Lord it would be really great if one small issue were remedied. The culvert used to funnel the waters at the entrance is too small in diameter and it isn’t buried deep enough. It needs to go deeper! I was praying that will get fixed this year.

It was then this verse came to mind.

“ I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” Luke 6:47-49 NLT

Dig deep!

Life will have its storms. There will be flash flooding and hurricanes; physical, emotional, financial and spiritual. It’s our responsibility to dig deep and be prepared to withstand what comes. When we have God’s word in our lives, we have a rock solid, immovable foundation that will not be shaken.

The time to prepare is before the floodwaters come. The skies may be blue and sunny and you may have a list of fun things you want to do but prepare your foundation first. Dig deep into God’s word. Find out what He has promised you about joy and peace, forgiveness and grace. Shore your foundation up on hope, kindness and His unconditional love. Line the perimeter with the rocks of protection and provision that He promises to everyone who hears and applies His word.

Dig deep! It will keep your house from falling.

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In A Fog

Years ago our son, youngest daughter and I drove from Spokane WA to Carlsbad CA over Spring break. I was so glad to have our son with me so we could share the driving. We were driving, in the wee hours of the morning, on the roads up by Mount Shasta. Traffic was light, just us and some semi’s. We made a bend in the road and drove right into a fog bank!

Oh my goodness! That was scary. Lots of prayers were being said like “Please don’t let any semi’s come up behind us and don’t let us come up behind any of them either”. And then, just as soon as we had come into the fog, we made another bend and the road was clear.

This happened several more times before we out of the mountain pass. Very stressful to say the least. That was physical fog. Spiritual fog can be just as unnerving.

Have you ever been caught up in a chore of some kind and just had thoughts come flooding into your mind? Maybe you’re doing the laundry or driving to work or out riding or mowing the grass or just daydreaming and something that has frustrated you or even brought you pain comes rolling in like the coastal fog or a wave to the seashore. I have – and if I’m not careful I start to mull it over, re-hash it and find that the hurt, worry or betrayal are still there. That’s when I realize I haven’t completely turned it over to the Lord.

“Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.” I Corinthians 13:5-7 ERV

Love doesn’t remember a wrong!!!!

Now that’s a hard one to swallow. But thank God he doesn’t. You notice I said He doesn’t because God is love and it’s in His nature to “not remember”. He isn’t holding our sins against us – quite the opposite! When we accept His forgiveness, He chooses to forget our past.

Aren’t you glad that you can come to Him and He won’t bring up all our failures and shortcomings? All things are new.

“And I will forgive the wrongs they have done, and I will not remember their sins.”” Hebrews 12:8 ERV

Is there someone in your life that needs you to forget their past? I know there is in mine, and I am making the determination to forget. Forgiveness allows that fog to lift and vanish. I’m so glad that I’m forgiven!

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Special & Unique

I know we all want to feel special. There is something in us that hopes for the little extras. A bigger piece of pie, an extra scoop of ice cream, more money per hour at work, the bigger bouquet, the nicer car, the corner office and the list goes on.

I’ve never was the one who won the trophy buckle, graduated valedictorian, was promoted to executive team or even won the state championship. But there is one thing I’ve done that puts me in the top group every time!

“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone (whosoever) who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ERV

Yes, I’m a member of the world – I’m an everyone! That makes me a recipient of the Father’s love and a recipient of life eternal. I’m one of billions of people who lived on this planet, but I am one in a million in God’s eyes! He knows the number of hairs on my head, He knows when I fall, and He knows my name.

“Training your body helps you in some ways. But devotion to God helps you in every way. It brings you blessings in this life and in the future life too. 9 Here is a true statement that should be accepted without question: 10 We hope in the living God, the Savior of all people. In particular, he is the Savior of all those who believe in him.” I Timothy 4:8-10 CEV

Our heavenly Father has salvation for ALL, but we have a part to play and that is we must BELIEVE in Him.

If I came to your house with a big box, wrapped in beautiful paper, tied up with a gorgeous ribbon and I had put your name on the box, would that present be yours? Well of course it would!

If you took that present and set it on the dining room table and looked at it, each day, admiring how pretty it was and how nice it was of me to bring it, would it benefit you? No, not really. It’s not until you open the gift, fully accept it, that it truly becomes yours and is a benefit to you.

Many people have seen the gift the Father brought them; the gift of forgiveness and restoration but for whatever reason have failed to open it and appropriate it for themselves.

“Jesus is the way our sins are taken away. And he is the way all people can have their sins taken away too.” I John 2:2 CEV

“no matter if that person is a Jew or a Gentile. There is only one Lord, and he is generous to everyone who asks for his help. 13 All who call out to the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:12-13 CEV

So, you see if you are a whosoever, an everyone, an “all people”, the gift is yours! Accept it and take advantage of what we have been given. We are each very special to the Father!

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We’re His Kids

This morning I’ve been sitting here thinking about our kids and praying for each of them. One will be flying home, one will be working, and one will be running a half marathon.

Their mates will be busy preparing for their arrival, taking care of children and waiting for them to come home. Each of them is loved and being prayed for. They are in our hearts and our prayers.

Then I stopped and imagined the Father taking inventory of what His kids will be doing today. Some will be flying, some working, some running, some watching, some worshipping, some fishing…you get my point. Each one of us are special to Him; He desires good things for us.

“Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God. 13 They were not God’s children by nature or because of any human desires. God himself was the one who made them his children.” John 1:12-13 CEV

God’s plan was to make all mankind His children but He will never force us into His family. He gives each one of us a free will to exercise. We can accept or reject His invitation.

“But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, 5 so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God’s children. 6 Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father.” Galatians 4:4-6 CEV

Our Father, our loving Father, is concerned with all the details of our life. Every good thing that we have comes from Him.

“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven!” Ephesians 1:3 CEV

It really bothers me that some have a misconception of my Father. He has been portrayed as Someone who is angry and mean. Someone who condemns and destroys but that isn’t true.

He’s watching over me today, and He’s watching over you! I desire good things for my kids; how much greater is His desire for those of us who are His children?

“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

I think sometimes we need to be reminded of just how much our Father loves us. We’re His kids and His love is unconditional!!

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In Time of Need

Yesterday I told you about Daniel and his commitment to prayer. Prayer in its simplest form is just talking to the Lord.

Today I’m going to tell you about another man. A man who listened to God’s word as Jesus spoke and then asked for help. He was putting God’s word into action.

I feel like I have known this man for many years. His story is near and dear to my heart. As Jesus taught, he was standing way off at the bottom of the mountain. He wasn’t with any family or friends. Every word that Jesus spoke had personal meaning to him. Meet my friend, the healed leper.

“Jesus came down from the hill, and a large crowd followed him. 2 Then a man sick with leprosy came to him. The man bowed down before Jesus and said, ‘Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want.’3 Jesus touched the man. He said, ‘I want to heal you. Be healed!’ Immediately the man was healed from his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, ‘Don’t tell anyone about what happened. But go and let the priest look at you. And offer the gift that Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show everyone that you are healed.’” Matthew 8:1-4 ERV

This man had stood at the bottom of the hill because he was unclean and not allowed to be close to the rest of the fine upstanding people. But he heard Jesus with his heart – not just his ears! He heard Jesus say, “Ask and it shall be given you” and so when Jesus made it down the mountain, he didn’t run away from Jesus he ran too Him, and he asked!

Try to imagine his face? Do you cringe when you see his missing fingers or the flesh that had been eaten away on his ears? Do you see him, do you see his broken heart from being an outcast for so long? Do you know how long it’s been since anyone has hugged him or kissed his diseased cheek?

And now do you see the tears of joy streaming down his cheeks as he hears Jesus words, “I want to heal you. Be healed!” Notice this. Jesus touched him!!! He touched the man who was unclean.

When I read this story I see myself there, I’m the one standing next to him, crying, weeping, rejoicing over his healing. Unashamed I throw my arms around his neck and hug him! What a joy to be able to kiss this man on the cheek and celebrate his healing!!

Oh yes, I’m emotionally invested in this man’s life because I too have felt the hurt of being an outcast. Not being accepted because of my appearance. I too know what it’s like to have a broken heart and to approach Jesus and say will you heal me? And I know the joy, the joy unspeakable, to have Him touch me and say, “you’re healed”.

The Father and the Son won’t force any of their blessings on us. They won’t force us into a relationship, but they wait patiently for us to ask! How many people on the mountain side that day had needs in their lives? How many needed a touch from the Savior? How many walked away empty because they were too ashamed or too proud to ask?

Are you in need of God’s touch? Don’t walk away – ASK and it shall be given unto you!!

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