Sharing Blessings and Sorrows

Today, my neighbor's grandchild died.  I am so sorry for this family who has prayed and loved the little one to the age of 7 months.  But since the Lord decided to take her home, I can so relate.  When God chose to take my little grand-daughter, it took me forever to see her in Heaven.  I knew in my heart she was there, but I just couldn't get past the grave. I pray for this family, and the upcoming months of emotional stuff they will have to endure.  But I thank God for their testimony to us all while they waited on the Lord.

I went back and forth this week on whether to put my long blog onto Christy's page - Wings, or here on the Garden.  So I am linking to "My Wings Are Made of Faith" so that it can be read from both blogs.   I have several things I gleaned from researching the battle between living under the law, and living by faith.  It is unclear to many Christians what God expects of us.  I am so glad for Galations 3 & 4 which makes it very clear.

Once we realize that God is the one who brings victory to our battles over sin, and satan, we can find release from sin, and from the power of Satan. We can choose to send Satan Packin'. In today's blog on Wings, Lori discusses freedom from fear, tomorrow I show how Paul taught the Galations freedom from serving the Law.  In both cases, we look to the cross and make decisions to act on our faith. 

I thank God for the ability to claim the power that comes with the cross and a knowlege of a risen savoir, that allows us to paint the blood on the doorposts of our future, to enter boldly the paths God asks us to trod, and expect victory over Satan and Sin...and put fear in it's place.

I praise you dear Lord. AMEN

Thankful for the Leaves in Fall

This morning the leaves from the trees are falling like flakes of snow, softly making shadows through every window in the house. Since I was a child, one of the things that made me feel God was present most was the constantcy of the seasons.  When the leaves fell, and the cold came I wondered why God made winter. I was much older of course when I understood the parallels between the season of rest, and how God allows the plants to die back to their roots or bare branches, so that in the spring there may be renewal and fresh growth. Just as Jesus died and was buried, and resurrected so that the church might have life and flourish, each Fall the seasons begin the cycle over again.  Many people think of Spring as the "beginning" of the seasons, but I think of fall. It is the time to me when things begin the process of starting all over, with a fresh start.  I like to think of prayer in the fall, as a time when I can make a concerted effort to allow the things that have withered in my life to fall away. To seek a clean slate, allow the cold crisp winds of the spirit of God to kill back the failing efforts of my busy-ness and prepare me, give me rest, and allow me to get back to the sustenance of the roots of my Christianity.  It is this natural cylce of things that allows me to have peace with God.  There are so many ways that God tells us it's OK to let go of the things that were once the very essence of what we depended on for daily life - jobs, relationships, material things, health, all are not permanent.  They are a part of life, and add to the fullness of life, but they are disposable.  Yes even relationships can be allowed to drop away. I can't even count the times I have listened to a friend or family member who was torn apart by whether it was OK with God to walk away from a relationship that was not working. Relationships that cause pain, and are basically dying, need to be dropped like a leaf. I am not advocating leaving marriages casually, but when they don't work, and the time comes that there is no life in them, or one of the partners is not commited, God understands the need for a fresh starts.  He allows us to wipe the slate clean, cast off sin, or hinderances on our lives like the trees dropping leaves. There comes a time when it is the season to drop everything that has run its course, or is withering with age, or simply needing to go. 
The concept is visible in several of Jesus parables or picture stories...like the question that he asked about putting new wine in old wineskins. (Matthew 9, Mark 2, and Luke 5.) Or patching worn fabric with new cloth. He says that it is an absolute waste to spend the time, use the resources, or hold out hope for success in the effort.  He says to allow God to supply new jugs, new clothes, new beginnings.  The number 8 is about new beginnings. The eighth month of the year is August. Immediately following are the Cleansing months. Fall and Winter reflect the times in our lives that we slowly recognize that is time to let things go, and one by one we can let things fall away. Then there is a time of adjustment, that parallels with winter, while we rest and regroup.  It takes time after life's hard spots to let go, and then it takes time to process what has happened, before we are ready for the warm winds of Spring. 
The seasons of life are often seen as birth, youth, adult productivity, and old age. I like to see the seasons in smaller units.  I like having a few more points in time where it's OK to start with a new clean future. Fortunately, God allows that it can be everyday, if we need.  But the great joy is that God allows, encourages, plans for and expects us to have seasons in our lives.  He understands that sometimes on a regular basis, the old "stuff" just needs to go.

Lord, I am so glad that the falling leaves don't fall until they have turned those gorgeous colors.  As they drop like snow this morning, the trees are looking so barren, but the ground is just beautiful!  Your message to my heart seems to be that although some things in my life seem too beautiful to be ready to be separated from...precious friends and family who are dying or have died...but they are passing into a beautiful beginning too. And there are other things too that I have some difficulties parting with, so I am trying to see the beauty in letting them go. I am trying to look into the future with hope for the spring that I can be assured will come, because you are in control.  You want us to have joy even in the seasons of letting go. To have assurance that there is beauty in everything, including loss.  Help me and those who may need this truth today to count it all joy.  Even as the falling leaves bring me joy, make me smile and think of you, help me to see the falling away of the fading leaves of my life as beautiful, and may they always make me think of you as a loving God who allows the load we carry just drop away.  Love you - Father, Son and Spirit- all, AMEN

IT KEEPS ME GOING

AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

WHAT A BLESSING

Even in Pain We Learn

Today on My Wings Are Made of Faith, I wrote a blog about Unconditional Love. When I sat down to post it, on Thursday, I had a migraine that had almost grown to full force. I don't know about other people's strong headaches, but I know that mine sort of grow to an intensity that I can no longer stand, and then when I have finally taken enough meds to knock it out, I crash and sleep for hours.  But while it is intense, I can't see clearly and my body hurts all down my spine and out into the extremities. When it goes away, it goes away slowly too.  Even after my head stops hurting, my spine continues to hurt for several hours.  Well, I was in the I can't see stage when I was trying to put up my post.

I normally certainly wouldn't find it necessary to tell my readers this, but today I want to show God's grace.  I had also made a nice peice of art to go with the blog. But it wouldn't load from my laptop.  I decided to email it to my PC in order to post it. But my head hurt so badly, I couldn't find where I saved it. I finally decided, I would just post it somewhere today.  In addition, I couldn't see to do the edits on my post.  A couple of edits I thought I had made were not corrected when I read it this morning, so somehow I managed not to save them.  So am I kicking myself this morning. Normally, my perfectionistic self would be hating that I let it go up that way.  But this morning, I have decided to take my own advise and love myself unconditionally.  Flaws and all.  I would like to go back in and correct the errors. And I often will on this blog. But I decided not to today, just so I can make this point.  Sometimes we must accept our circumstances, pain, and flaws and continue to love ourselves.

My favorite saying I have heard lately is the one that is on the Facebook page, Breath Of Fresh Air, which says "I may not be perfect but Jesus thinks I'm to die for."  This morning on Joyce Myers' TV program, she was talking about unconditional love taking some time and effort.  Sometimes years of hanging in there trying to learn to communicate. It is things like this that help me know I am on the right track when listening to God's still small voice. Because the Holy Spirit is sharing God's message with lot's of people.  He wants us to hear him giving us the message that He feels is necessary for the day.  So even in my pain, I learned from the message God gave me to post, and although I am not happy about the headache, or the fact that there are errors in grammar in my post, I can be more than happy that Jesus who loved me, wants me to love myself, 'cause He thought I was lovable enough to die for. 

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me peace about not being perfect this morning, that I can go on with my day knowing that you will work your love, and grace whether I am perfect or not.  Counting on it. Cause your word will not return void. Love you, Jesus. AMEN

Think Barbeque, or Steaks on the Grill

Today's devotion from Joseph Prince, speaks of the burnt offerings in the temple having a sweet fragrance before God.  I have to admit, that when I think of the Temple, it sometimes seems like a grusome slaughter house.  I understand that it provided the food for the temple staff, and I even can stretch my mind around the concept of how these sacrifices picture Christ's death meeting the many needs of sinners for a savoir.  But sometimes, I have to think, "why didn't God choose something less gorey to provide our salvation.  It sometimes seems no less ungodly as a tribal man sacrificing children to volcanoes. But, God wished to give us a more precious picture.  I never really saw past the sacrifice to the glory until this morning.  After the sacrifice was offered up, washed and totally unbloody on the altar, it was burned.  "Grilled!" We burn beef all the time, and love, love love the smell of it as we wait paitently to consume it.  The smell of the temple would be a good one. Like the fragrance of a good restaurant that makes us hungry.  God was wanting us to relate the sacrifice of Jesus to what comes after the shedding of blood.  Like the delightful fragrance of meat on the grill that calls us to gather at the table, the resurrection of Christ was the sweet fragrance of God's Hunger to comune with man on an intimate and family/friend level.  It is a symbol of God's desire to meet with us often through the day, as with when we would eat. It is a symbol of God's desire that we take a break from the work and weariness of living in this world and spend it satiating the hunger that has grown within us. But also to fill us with something of himself.  To be blessed by the goodness before us. To find sustenance to go on. It is the symbol of repetition as an element of coming to join with Him often. And in a manner that is not just necessary, but is a time of pleasure. It is a symbol of being drawn to the time by the sweet fragrance of it, just as our favorite foods would make us look fondly to sitting down to supper.  Isn't that a wonderful way to see the sacrifice of Jesus.
So often we concentrate on the horror of Christ's Death, that we just don't see how God wants us to remember it. The Lord's Supper itself was a repeat of this concept. He said, as oft as you do this, do it in rememberance of me.  What did he tell them to remember? That they had broken bread together...the blessing of being in his presence for all those many meals, and especially this His last. That they drank a refreshing drink, just as any group of friends might, when they are celebrating a holiday meal.  And He wanted them to remember, not that this was their last meal, but their first in a New Tradition. They would depart from the symbolism of the passover, when the death Angel passed over, and begin a new reason to gather in rememberance of His being the last sacrificial lamb, which would finally bring to them freedom from sin, and entry into new life.  A sweet time, full of fragrance, and a longing to remedy the hunger within.  That's what the burnt offering was about. And that perfect picture is how God wants us to see ourselves, because it is how He sees us ever since the death and resurrection of Christ....to all who will come to the feast. God laid out the table and he smells the sweet small of steaks on the grill. He says to all who smell the wafting of the smoke....
"Come 'n Eat."

Thank you Dear Father, for this image of how you saw the sacrifice of the savoir.  Each time the priests put up the burnt offerings, it was like smelling steaks on the grill to you. It was just you looking forward to the day that we would all gather round and spend time feeding at your table.  And you wanted it to be as easy and as fulfilling as sitting down to a good meal. You wanted us to come hungry. You wanted us to smell of the smoke, cause you wanted us to be so drawn by the fragrance that we just could hardly wait to be there.  Pure Joy! Oh my I'm getting hungry.  Thank you for this time together. AMEN