Family…fun…faith

For several days our first grand child stayed at our home us while his mom was giving birth to his little sister.

Our household is two parents and two college aged daughters at home.

We thought “how hard can it be to watch one little boy for a few days?” Harder than expected.

We still have not found the TV remote. Our new remote is to call out to whoever is sitting closest to TV to adjust the volume.

Conner was into everything. . He was a bundle of boundless energy and curiosity. He loved walking the dog on his leash in the house. Several times he pulled on the dog’s legs to see if they would detach. Thankfully the legs remained attached but the dog is seeing a therapist!

In the midst of it all, God spoke to my heart.

I am like Conner in so many ways. Restless when I need to be restful. Worrying about getting my own way and expressing discontent or whining when I don’t..

The best way to get Conner to sleep was cradled in someone‘s arms. We best rest when we are cradled in the arms of God’s love and grace. He wants simple fellowship with us.

What touched me the most during Conner’s visit? It was the times my family remarked when Conner and I sat together how much he looked like me.


That’s how it is when we relax with our heavenly Father. We begin to resemble Him. 

People are attracted by the family resemblance.

At this time of year, many people want to be part of a family. 

Why not introduce them to God’s?

You Are God’s Art

“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. Ep 2:10

We are created individually within the plans and purpose of God. That is one reason life is sacred. Plus we were created in His image. There is a difference in our lives as works of art and those you see in a museum. Life in God is not just something to be looked at but to be lived.

God does not just want to display you for the world to see and for them to go “Ooh and Ah!” He wants you to do that which He designed for us.

This verse clearly states that God has good works He has planned in advance for us to do. One of the challenges in life is discovering His plans for us.

Let me suggest that with His plan is His pattern. The pattern is not doctrine, Bible principles or Bible stories. The pattern is a person…Jesus Christ. Jesus is the pattern for how we are to live and love. He demonstrated what God intended for man to be before the Fall. We are to be one who Loves God. God communes with us and speaks to us so we hear Him. We should repeat what we hear Him say. We should do what we see Him doing. The Christian life has only been successfully lived by one …Jesus Christ. It is not possible in our own resources.

That brings us from plans to pattern and finally to power. God never asks us to do or be anything He has not equipped us to be. It is the Holy Spirit who is the power in us to fulfill the plans and duplicate the pattern of Christ in our hearts and lives. He is our power

Four key words…purpose…plans…pattern…power.

Simply Present

 
Count me among the smitten. Our first and so far only grandchild, Conner is going to be a year old in June.
He stays with us during the day when his Mom goes to work so we see him a lot. He is at that wonderful stage where his little face lights up when he sees me.

Who can blame him? He will waddle over to the side of his playpen nearest me, smile and hold his little hands up!

My response?

Pick him up.

Now follows the lesson.

There are times he wants me to get him out of his captivity in the playpen and let him roam free. He wants me for independence only. There are times he wants to be fed or needs to be changed. Sometimes he just wants to be with me. Guess which is my favorite?

Conner is teaching me about the heart of our heavenly Father. How many times do we come to God wanting to get out of our situation or mess? Sometimes we want to be fed or need to get cleaned up for the mess we make of our lives.

But, there are times we just want to know His Presence…Person…Peace.

Take a moment, read a small portion of the Word, quiet your heart and simply enjoy Him. Don’t talk or tell Him what you want or what you are going to do for Him. Just let Him love you. Ps 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.”

"No...really. You go first!"

I John 4: 19 “We love because he first loved us.”

One definition of love I hear is “Giving of oneself to meet the needs of another without expectation of return.”

It is not "I love you if…"

"I love you when…"

"I love you because you make me feel…"

It is God kind of love.  "I love you (period)."

God’s is the great initiator.  He sought us, we never seek Him.  Jesus said he came to seek and save that which was lost…us.

The closest thing on earth is the love of a parent for their child.  Giving…loving…sacrificing because of the needs of the person who is the object of love and not just for what the parent can experience in return.

So it is with Jesus.

He loved and waited to see if it was recognized…responded to…returned.

He loves you.  What you gonna do about it?

Your Gap is Showing

I John 3: 18 “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

Know what an example of frustration is?  When you know what to do and don’t do it.  It is also a source of tremendous stress in our lives.

Want to enjoy life more? Close the gap between what you say and what you really do.

This is also the definition of hypocrisy.  Saying we love Jesus and fellow man, but our actions don’t demonstrate it.

Many non-believers say they don’t like all the hypocrisy in church, and that’s’ why they stay away.  Let me share a Greek word for that….BALONEY!  If they had any interest in God or desired to be with His people they could learn to overlook inconsistencies, faults and failings.  They would look for a church where these kind of people are embraced.  People are looking for a safe place to be honest…vulnerable…imperfect.

So, do like a local Ford dealer says down here in New Orleans…”bridge the gap” between what you say and what you do.

You’ll be glad you did.

If you really know then you will go

1 John 2: 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

We can claim we know God but reality is our life.

Do you just talk about Him or walk with Him?

One will want to keep His word and spend time (walk) with Him the more deeply they love Him.

Ever notice an elderly couple that begin to look alike?  God seems to let them begin to resemble an reflect one another.  They start sentences and share a laugh.  They have knowing glances.  They can finish one another’s’ thoughts. 

Why?

Because they love each other and walk together.

God is calling each of us to walk with Him.  First as individuals; then as families and communities of faith.

It’s a great trip…get started.

I Know He Watches Me

John 12 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Why do we get caught up in wanting to have others speak well of us.?  Why do we fear others opinions and our reputation in their eyes?

Simply put…the fear of man. I think a more detailed answer would be vision and time perspective.

We only see about an hour into the future.  If we would live in light of eternity many of our selfish problems would diminish if not disappear.

Another way to say this is that we live for the wrong audience.  Our only audience should be that we know God has His loving watch over us and He delights in us.  He offers grace, mercy, forgiveness and future with Him.

Seek more that we live for the glory of God than glory from man.

Bye to and Faithful and Helpful Friend!!!

After nearly 13 years, we said goodbye to a family friend today. It was our 1996 Chevy Suburban.

Big Red had served us faithfully through the most important years of our children growing up. When we first got the vehicle, our children were 9,5,3 and 1. They are now 22, 20,18 and 14!

That Fire Truck Red Suburban has taken us on trips to Disneyworld, mission trips to Minnesota and even to officiate a memorial service for a young woman struck down in her youth in Jacksonville, FL.

Big Red was our carriage during Katrina and our refuge during Rita.

Big Red made long trips such as to North Carolina for a wedding and fun return trip on way back through Chattanooga.

This morning, we were having another car picked up by AAA towing. The driver asked about buying the car he was towing. I told him it was a recent purchase, but the Suburban in the back driveway was for sale.

Now, Big Red did not look like much. It had a hood that bulged up from two different accidents our son had in it. One of its' headlights drooped like a stroke victim who had lost control of his facial muscles. It's back door on the driver's side has been dented for three years. I did not get it fixed for two reasons. To get it fixed would have been more expensive than the car was worth and the dent was a reminder of a time when Big Red saved my son's life in an accident. Big Red was a great protective device.

Who cares about gas mileage when the vehicle can extend your life expectancy!

The tow truck driver asked could he drive Big Red around the block and I agreed. He returned 5 minutes later with excitement and hope. He got his wife and 2 year old daughter out of the cab of his tow truck. You see, they owned no personal family vehicle. Anywhere they had to go, the store, to see family or to work was in that tow truck.

Sometimes the wife had to walked 1 1/2miles to work if her husband was out on a tow job. Same thing at night if he was not around or she had to keep calling to try to get a ride home.

They asked the price and I told them. They were going to ask for a loan from his boss but, we worked out a better deal. God told us to drop the price considerably.

Big Red is now in the hands of a family that does not care about AC, paint and body work. They drove from the title transfer office like they had won a major prize. It was a chance to be blessed as we blessed them.

We wept for joy as they drove out of sight.

The man and his wife asked us why we came off the price so much and we told them God told us to. I hope that a seed of faith has been sown in the hearts of this precious, needy and struggling family. My prayer is that someday, they will tell their little girl about how they went to rescue someone and God showed up to their rescue!

May God bless them with Big Red as he did us for over a decade.