Blog Archives

You Feed Them

12/31/2014

As I reflect on the close of another year, God, in His goodness, brings me to Matthew 14:13-22 where He feeds the 5000 and reminds me that it was through those who willingly brought to Him all they had (even though it appeared to be rather insufficient) that He miraculously met the great need standing before them.

Every time we draw near to Him, hang out with Him, we begin to "catch" a little bit of His great compassion for others. And every time we take our compassion to help others back to Jesus, He does a couple things: He acknowledges our desire to have their needs met but instead of sending them away to figure it out for themselves, He says "you feed them!" So, we muster up all we have (our time, our talents, our energies, our creativity, our resources...) and we bring it before Him saying, "here's what I have" (while maybe thinking "though it clearly isn't enough"). But with God its always more than enough. Jesus accepts our gifts, thanks God for them, blesses, breaks & hands them back to us to give out...AND EXCEEDS THE NEEDS OF THE MANY!

Grateful for the many opportunities God has placed before us this past year to serve Him with all that we are and all that we have! Aren't you? He's accomplishing more than we can ever imagine!!

Looking forward to a new year and the new God-directed opportunities it will bring.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!!! :)

0 Comments

Reflecting on the Manger

12/12/2014

0 Comments

I recently learned that the manger most of us typically picture in a Christmas nativity scene was actually made of stone. A picture was immediately brought to mind of One being laid on an altar, giving His life as a ransom for many. As early as Jesus' birth God was painting a picture of why He came to earth! And the symbolism continues, friends, as we remember that it was a "feeding trough" - the place where food for one's animals was laid...because He is the Bread of Life!

Merry Christmas Season, all! :)

0 Comments

Become Like Little Children

12/10/2014

0 Comments

“Jesus: Truly, I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Mt. 18:3

- little children don’t trust in their own strength but have a knack for “knowing” that in the presence of their mommy or daddy they are safe; with mommy or daddy nearby, there’s nothing to fear - no lurking boogie man, no approaching “stranger”, instead, all is well no matter the circumstance; mommy’s back may be to the child as she talks with daddy, but little children always “know” they will be caught as they come soaring, in the general direction of their parents, from the top of the stairs.

- David, in 1 Samuel, is a beautiful picture of this childlike faith. A mere boy, David doesn’t trust in his own strength or in armor or in fancy weapons. David without reservation or hesitation (childlike) places his trust in His all-powerful God, knowing that “the Eternal One will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Sam. 17:37)

Praying this kind of faith for us, church! Love u :)

0 Comments

A Christmas Message for the Church :)

12/6/2014

0 Comments

Christmas Season...together!🎄

Friends, every time you say 'yes' to sharing with others, they get to hear (maybe for the first time) the greatest news ever: that God, Creator of all things, loves them so much that He sent Jesus, the God-man, in the form of an innocent little baby in order to bring hope & rescue to all the world.

Your servant-heart, your obedient spirit bursting through like Mary's when she said, "Let it be to me according to your Word," (Lk 1:38), your saying 'yes' to whatever task God places before you is changing lives one divine-appointment at a time.

I'm so thankful that we are in this together. Your resolute devotion, your love for God, your desire to bring Him glory as you faithfully live for Him, pouring yourselves out for the sake of others, these are just a few of the ways you both encourage and inspire me!

I'm grateful that God, in His infinite wisdom, gave His people the gift of His Spirit and then, as our Good Shepherd, He continues to lead us, not in isolation, but as His Church, spreading His kingdom everywhere we go. You're a living representation of His Good News...I see Jesus in you, friends!

Wishing you a Spirit-filled Christmas season that reminds you afresh of the goodness of our glorious King and fills you anew with awe & wonder.

And may the God of hope fill you, your family & your days with joy & peace.

Love you :)

0 Comments

Welcome to the Christmas Season! :)

12/4/2014

0 Comments

I love getting to spend this blessed season with you, reflecting together on the most treasured gift God gave so long ago: that He came, in the very nature of his created, entering His world the same way we do, as a helpless lil baby...and yet, He came offering hope for all the world, ushering in His kingdom "on earth as it is in Heaven" so that we may know a new way to live, a way that shines light into the darkness, spotlighting the One who came to rescue us from ourselves, as He sets things right & makes all things new!

Such extravagant love & amazing grace wrapped in swaddling clothes & laying in a feeding trough! Sent that very first Christmas Day for all the world to "come & see!" Jesus truly is God's greatest gift of all!🎁

Merry Christmas Season Precious Friends🎆

Love u!😘

0 Comments

You, THIS Moment...EVERY Moment is Incandescent with Meaning

12/3/2014

0 Comments

“In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zechariah who belonged to the division of Abijah. He had a wife descended from Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in God’s sight, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord without the least blame. Nevertheless, they had no children because Elizabeth was barren. They were very old.” – Lk 1:5-7

Every present moment is well-rooted in the past. Nothing happens in pure isolation. We are never only I. We are always, somehow, we.

Even the miracles of God, so sudden-seeming, have been nurtured in love through the ages to the moment of their appearing.

God is a God of history: weaving its past and its future together; granting meaning to the whole of humankind, making any single moment incandescent with meaning.

And so, in Luke, in these few verses about one humble old man do we see the past (the entire past of human need) and divine desire spiraling into Judea to produce this unfolding drama of the coming of the infant Jesus – who shall himself illuminate the whole history of humankind with a fearful and beautiful meaning.

The old man’s name is Zechariah – his name means “Yahweh remembers.” God is remembering his people, yes. God is remembering his promises, his most ancient promises. And the remembering of his promises means also that God is keeping them, physically, in human time and human space, and in the sight of every people.

...And now, here YOU are – this year, this day, this particular moment. How vast and complex is the history that brings you to THIS moment! The flower of this moment has a root as deep in antiquity as the time when God spoke promises to Zechariah and Elizabeth. The time God, moving in time & space, remembering & fulfilling His ancient promises was bringing Jesus into the world - the birth of that Light who would illumine all our human history, making this particular moment, too, incandescent with meaning.

Like any miracle of God, you have been nurtured in love through all the ages unto this instant, this breath you now are drawing, this present beating of your heart, this thought, this faith, this prayer…

“O Lord,

Catch us up, like Zechariah, in the whirl of your holy history. Let us be meek in your kingdom, but not abject; humble, not self-pitiful; obedient, not obsequious; servants, not servile; childlike, not childish; yours in love and willingness, and then our smallness shall be your greatness indeed.

Teach us to live in the tension. Amen”

Wanted to pass along the blessing from “Day 2” of “Preparing for Jesus: Meditations on the Coming of Christ, Advent, Christmas, and the Kingdom” by Walter Wangerin Jr.

MERRY CHRISTMAS SEASON! :)

0 Comments

You Feed Them

Reflecting on the Manger

Become Like Little Children

A Christmas Message for the Church :)

Welcome to the Christmas Season! :)

You, THIS Moment...EVERY Moment is Incandescent with Meaning

Author

Archives

Categories