You Are Loved

The little blue blossoms popped up in my garden at the end of summer. 

It's ironic that I forgot I planted them—they are called forget-me-nots. 

Even though I didn't remember I had mixed them with my zinnia seeds, 

they made their debut, anyway.

One thing I won't forget, 

even as I reach an age of occasional absentmindedness—I am loved. 

God loves me. 

He loves you.

He loves all of His creation.

Never forget YOU ARE LOVED!

 

Where Is My Faith

Luke 8:22-24
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

Rain pounded the canvas top of the Jeep.

I traveled down Interstate 75 to visit my daughter in Kentucky. When I left home a gray sky hovered overhead. The lack of sunshine made the drive easier for me because bright sun hurts my eyes, and I knew I’d be on the road for a while. About halfway through the trip, the skies opened and the rain poured. Torrential rain on the interstate with semis scares me, but instead of panicking, I put the Jeep in four-wheel drive and slowed my speed.

The rain poured for about twenty minutes. As I maneuvered the Jeep through the rain, Star 93.3 played three songs that calmed me. I Am Not Alone by Kari Jobe, Praise You in This Storm, and Brighter Days by Blessing Offor made me want to raise my hands in praise, but I didn’t dare take my hands off the wheel.

Isn’t it just like Jesus to provide comfort and hope in the midst of the storm? He’d invited his disciples to the boat and then fell asleep. He may have known the storm was coming, but He also knew God had His back. When the disciples panicked, what did He say? “Where is your faith?”

I had to ask myself that question as I drove through the storm. I have to ask myself that question when I walk through the valley, the sunshine, or the fog. My faith is in Jesus who loves me, but at times I forget and try to take control, or panic, or run from Him. Yet every time He draws me back to Him, and I thank Him.

I thank God for his peace, His understanding of me and my fears, and I praise Him for his plan of salvation that secures my faith. I am not alone, I can praise Him in the storms, and I know there will be brighter days because I have faith in the One who loves me more than I understand.

Have faith in the One who loves you.

The Best News

Romans 8:37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I can't even comprehend how much God loves me.

If you've ever had a pet who is part of your family, you know how much you love them. Our Rosie May is a family dog, not just for Tim and me, but also for our children and grandchildren to enjoy and learn from. When we drove her home from my niece's house, we circled around to let her meet our grandchildren. Of course she was a wee pup then. Now she's almost full grown as a seven-month-old and has integrated into our lives as if she's always been here.

In those few months she's lived with us, she's shown her loyalty, but she's also chewed on a book, shredded papers, and had accidents in the house (thankfully just a few.) Yes, I get frustrated, but no matter what, I love our beautiful, kind-hearted, caring pup. She's part of our family, and I know she loves us.

Everyone wants to be loved, and I have good news, great news really. In Romans, the writer shares the amazing promise of God's continuous love. Once I chose to follow Jesus and believe His truth, God has poured out his love on me. Yes, I make mistakes, I sin, and at times I've doubted, but His love draws me back in. Nothing will separate believers, from the love of their Father, God. Nothing. I stand amazed at the love the Father pours over His family.

He calls every person to Him. He wants everyone to acknowledge Him as God. God loves and wants everyone to love Him back.

Seek Him and discover the most incredible love you'll ever experience.

The Gift of Grace

Luke 34:1-8
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.

Sunrise reminds me of the glorious day Jesus defeated death.

When I attended college in Kentucky, they offered a special Easter sunrise service. That year I stayed on campus, and I looked forward to the idea of an outdoor time of observance and worship. Early Sunday morning, we gathered on a hill on campus, sat on the ground, and praised Jesus as the sun rose on the horizon. The experience has stuck with me all these years as a time to reflect on Jesus' sacrifice.

Easter, celebrated in the spring when new life sprouts from the earth, evokes a sense of renewal in me due to the love Jesus has for me. God's plan to give the life of His own Son for my sins, still blows me away. I don't deserve God's love or grace, yet He has cleaned my slate of sins with His blood.

God chose blood for sacrifice and throughout the Old Testament people presented their finest animals to God. In the New Testament, Jesus took the place of the animals and gave His life. What I love most is God breathed life back into Jesus, just as He breaths life back into me through his mercy and grace. When I seek his mercy, He pours His love over me.

This Easter, celebrate the gift of grace.

Nothing Greater

Mark 12:30-31

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

Seagulls swooped around the pier.

At Huntington Beach in northern Ohio, the seagulls flew about in search of food. A heron rested on the rocks and watched. Before long a seagull padded over to squat beside the heron. The bigger bird didn't move, he allowed the little fellow into his space without quarrel. Side-by-side they perched on the rocks, two very different, yet beautiful birds.

As I watched these two, I thought about how God created people as unique beings who populate the same planet. I'll admit, I've come across a few folks I didn't want to share space with. Yet, God called me to love.

I've heard Jesus' words in Mark many times, but some days, I need reminded. I might be the heron minding my own business, when the seagull pops in and sits beside me. Or the other way around. No doubt someone out there doesn't want me sitting beside them. That's okay.

My mom told me years ago, "You don't have to like everyone, but you do need to love them." That's what God calls me to do. I may not agree, but I can love. I may not like, but I am called to love.

Is it always easy? Nope. But who said life, as a follower of Jesus, was easy? Does it take patience? Yes, and kindness, gentleness, self-control and all of the fruit of the Spirit God gives me.

When I love God with all my heart and soul and mind and strength, I will love my neighbor. Not just my physical neighbors, but the people I interact with on social media, too. Jesus also says to love myself. He wants me to care about my physical, spiritual, and mental being.

Love God. Love neighbors. Love ourselves. God created people to care for each other. Let's do this.

Valued and Loved

Luke 10:38-42
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Martha or Mary.

I’ve heard the question, “Are you a Martha or a Mary?” I may have even asked that myself. But in seeking an answer to the inquiry, I think I missed the point of this story.

Imagine preparing for a visit from the one person on this earth who you’ve been waiting for; that one man who came to save all people from sin. Let that sink in. Jesus is coming to visit. The Messiah himself will be dining at your table.

Martha, the obvious caregiver in the story, seeks to prepare her home for her guest. Yet, her sister Mary, instead of mixing the bread dough or setting the table, sits at Jesus’ feet to soak in his wisdom.

Again with the question, “Are you a Martha or a Mary?” According to what Jesus says, it doesn’t matter. Both women are valued and loved.

When Martha called for Mary to help her, Jesus stopped her. You see, Jesus was a rabbi, a teacher. He didn’t condemn Martha for her efforts to host him, instead he offered her an invitation. He didn’t say don’t be like Martha, instead he reached out and invited her to stop what she was doing and join him as he taught God’s truth.

He didn’t condemn Martha, he invited her to join him. This is kind of a big deal. In Jesus’ day women didn’t sit at a teacher’s feet and learn. But Jesus invited all men, women, and children to hear God’s truth.

Jesus still calls every one of us to read his word, share in his wisdom, believe in him, and accept his grace.

Sit at Rabbi Jesus’ feet and hear his truth.

You Are Special

You may not know or dare to believe, 

but you are special to the Father who made you.

In this world, we tend to compare ourselves to each other.

Maybe we think we don't have enough money or talent, 

we aren't as good looking as the people we meet. 

Maybe we wonder why we are even here.

Let me tell you--You Are Special! 

God loves you more than you can imagine 

and he's made you and me unique for a reason. 

If you doubt what I'm saying, talk to God and ask him to reveal his love for you.

 

Love Your Neighbor

Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

I love that God made our world in color.

From the kayak, I watched the sun cross over the fresh spring foliage. The shore, covered in trees, showed various shades of green. The sky moved from pale blue to sky blue to cerulean as the white clouds whispered across. Along the bank, rocks and pebbles rested in assorted shades of brown. Beautiful colors. All created by God.

In the hours before we took our kayaks out on the lake, I'd wrestled with how to respond to recent news of racial strife and sorrow. I'm an older white woman who has only walked in my shoes. I can't say I understand what my friends of color are experiencing, but I can say I care. 

I contemplated how to offer hope in a time of sorrow and help in a time of stress. But I'll be honest, I wasn't sure how.

As I prayed, I understood two things:

• What's going on in the world right now is breaking God's heart.
• God loves every single person he created, and he calls us as his followers to love people, too.

In Matthew, Jesus said to love God and love people. It's that simple. But sin has gotten in the way. Satan stirs the pot and throws in envy, anger, and a whole lot of other junk. He rejoices when he recruits one more person to destroy another human being, a building, a lifetime of work. He spreads his evil anywhere he can.

Together, let's toss Satan out and pour in the ingredients of love, hope, compassion, and peace. Let's stir in joy, acceptance, patience and understanding in whatever way we can.

As I floated in the kayak and soaked in the variegated world we live in, Jesus reminded me to love and appreciate people. He gave us different shades of skin, different textures of hair, different eye colors. And he gave all of us hearts for love, abilities to help, and minds to think. We are more alike than we are different, because we are created in God's image.

Love God and love people. Click to Tweet

This!

The Struggle is Real

Psalm 30:11-12

You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

This week my anger flared.

Tim and I are doing well. We fill our days and enjoy each other's company. We're thankful we have a safe place to live and food on the table. Yet, my anger toward this COVID-19 virus reached a peak this week. I'm grieving the fact that I can't see my family, hug my children, or play with my grandkids. Tim and I can't go out for dinner at a restaurant. We can't attend church with the congregation. I walk in my neighborhood, but fear I might catch the virus. As I wallowed in my discontent, my fibromyalgia flared and made me even more miserable.

That was Tuesday.

On Wednesday, hope filled my heart. The ire dissipated and joy sang out. So often, I must walk through the darkness before I appreciate the light. As they say, "The struggle is real." Our mental health is being tested. So is our faith.

Dale Chihuly glass art  

Maybe anger eats at you, depression dogs your days, or anxiety attacks. I've suffered them all through the stay-at-home corona days. But I've also experienced joy through the Holy Spirit. When I get over myself and hand my cares to God through prayer, the Spirit fills my soul with joy and a peace that passes understanding. When I stop to thank God for my circumstances and ask Him to forgive my selfishness, he turns my grumbles into dancing, my grief into joy. I'm so grateful that God loves me even when I'm unlovable.

As my faith grows and stretches, I praise God for his continued love and grace.

How have you dealt with all the baggage of these stay-at-home times?
Are you taking care of yourself?
Physically, mentally and spiritually?

Even a few minutes in God's word and in prayer eases the stress.

His Love

No matter what, God is faithful.

His love never ends.

I see him in the flowers of spring, the rainfall, the greening grass.

His love surrounds us every day.

The Mystery of God

Lamentations 3:25-26
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.

The city of Cincinnati sparkled outside my hospital window. I viewed the crown on top of Great American Tower and the reflection of lights twinkling on the Ohio River. At two o'clock in the morning, I listened to the tap, tap, tap of ice hitting the window; a beautiful chorus to kick off my recovery. In the quiet of the early morning, God's Spirit dwelled by my side. As did my wonderful husband who slept on the hard as a rock couch, under that scenic the window.

I'm not usually awake in the middle of the night. But this night I'm thankful I was, because I experienced a love I almost can't fathom. The mystery of God's love intrigues me. How can my creator continue to love me, even as I fail and fall? Yet he does. He not only loves me, he pours his grace over me. As I rested in the quiet and listened to the ice tapping the window, I thanked God for the many prayers given on my behalf. I praised him for the miracle of medicine and the wonderful team of people who took care of me.

God is faithful. He met me in the quiet time with his comfort and peace.

As we head into the holidays, find time for quiet reflection. Time to thank God for his many blessings. Time to find comfort in his arms. Time to connect to his love.

The View from Caesar's Head

Psalm 95:4-7
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
    and the mightiest mountains.
The sea belongs to him, for he made it.
    His hands formed the dry land, too.

Come, let us worship and bow down.
    Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,
for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
    the flock under his care.

Tim and I drove down to see Hannah in South Carolina. On the way we cruised through the Great Smokey Mountains. As we powered along, I watched the landscape for any signs of autumn. And bears—I always watch for bears. From the highway, we looked over the ridges and felt we were well above the tree-strewn valleys. That is until Saturday, when Hannah took us to a place called Caesar's Head. From our point of view, about 3200 feet above sea level, the scene took my breath away.  A valley, that stretched as far as I could see, housed a vast forest dotted with gold and red. A lake as smooth as glass sprawled between hills. The majestic mountains rose in the distance.

We stood on top of this rock formation called Caesar's Head

Gazing over the beauty, reminded me of two truths from Psalm 95. Number one: Everything was created by and is owned by God. As I stood on the top of Caesar's Head, I saw wonder in God's natural world. I drew in fresh air. I imagined what animals roamed those mountains. (Maybe, a bear or two.) Number two: God watches over me. He cares about me and loves me just as I am. I needed that reminder, because sometimes I forget or take for granted our incredible Lord. He has more love than we can imagine, and he wants to pour that out on us if only we seek him.

Let us come to him with thanksgiving. 

Let us sing psalms of praise to him.

                                      -Psalm 95:2

Near to the Heart

A Whisper of Hope

Psalm 62:5
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.

Amethyst Astilbe

Something drew me to the green plant sprouting in a flower bed where I work. The hosta leaves spread and the azaleas had finished blooming. Yet this bushy little plant tucked into the corner of the bed, caught my attention. It was as if it called me to look at it every day. Morning after morning, I'd walk by and check out the greenery. One day I noticed tiny blooms shooting out of stems. They shot up like sparklers on the fourth, but brown, like they'd already bloomed and dried up. I knew they hadn't. So like Alice in Wonderland, I got "Curiouser and curiouser!" I looked forward to seeing whether the brown stayed that way or would they transform into something more colorful. Then one day on my walk in to work, there they were. Lovely, feathery, pink (my favorite color) blooms. Like a whisper, they called me to them and said see this is what you've been waiting for.

Isn't that just how I am with God? I seek the beautiful, the colorful joy, the "happy." But when I spy a brown flower, or a bad day, a sad news story or a horrific one, I forget about the hope. My anger bubbles at the people who judge parents who are hurting instead of comforting them and at the people who kill innocent people. Instead of being curiouser and curiouser and clinging to the hope I know is God, I become discouraged.

Yet I know if I sit at God's feet and seek his wisdom, he provides hope. God is bigger than all that I face here. He's the creator of all things, yet he listens to me and whispers in my ear. He tells me he loves me and loves you. No matter what, God is the one I can count on. He doesn't change. While all the world is falling apart, Jesus is holding me up. He's sitting beside me and sharing his love. I usually end with a praise, today let's end with a prayer.

"Lord, I need to sit quietly at your feet and hear your voice. I lift up the people who are hurting this week. There's so much sadness. Please help me not to judge, but instead to love. I can't begin to thank you enough for the hope I find in you. Thank you so much for your son, Jesus. In his name I pray. Amen"