Psalm 145:5 "I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous work."

I am part of that wondrous work that God created. You are, too! Let's live it for Jesus! We are beautiful in God's sight, and daughters of the King!

God bless you!

Renew A Right Spirit In Me

“Hey, Missy, do you know Jesus?”

I was 7 years old. Both my parents worked; so, I had to walk to and from school by myself. I don’t remember any lecture about strangers. If I was told about the dangers, I quickly forgot them when an elderly black man halted me in midstride to ask me a question.

“Hey, Missy, do you know Jesus?”

I was walking past a large cotton mill in Rome, Georgia. When I stopped, he motioned for me to come and sit down beside him. I realize now he was sitting on a retainer wall leading down to a docking bay for delivery and pickup, and he was probably on a break or waiting for the next truck to arrive.

His smile was infectious, so sincere and welcoming. I didn’t hesitate to join him. Seeing I was too small to join him on the wall, he jumped down and hoisted me up. Then he joined me.

“Have you ever heard about Jesus?” He asked, smiling at me again.

I just shook my head. Curiosity killed the cat, as my Papa would have said. I wanted to know who this person was.

“Jesus was a great man. He taught us love. We are supposed to tell everyone about this love.” Then he laughed. I could hear it bellow over my head. A deep, throaty laugh, deep like his voice.

That day began a meeting every afternoon for what seemed like forever, especially now. I remember his voice and his words. He would tell me stories about Jesus. Then he would start the drill. All I remember are the first few names he had me recite, “Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, Jude, and James.” I tried so hard to memorize them just like he said. I wanted to please him so he would tell me more stories about Jesus and the people that knew Him.

This beautiful black man has stayed in my memory for almost 60 years. If he told me his name, I have forgotten it, but I’ve never forgotten his attention and the powerful words he shared with me. I’ve often wondered if this was God’s way to begin my journey into faith. Seeds planted that have grown and grown because one man decided to tell me about Jesus.

The year was 1957. I didn’t know anything about racial tension or color bias. I was a 7 year old girl who met a man who was living out his commission in life: spreading the gospel of Jesus to all who came across his path.

Isn’t that what we are supposed to do? Nothing matters more than for followers of Jesus Christ to keep the Words written in red close to our heart and proclaim Jesus’ victory in our lives. We’re to share Jesus’ love with everyone regardless of who they are.

“Call out for insight, and cry aloud for understanding.” (Proverbs 2:3)

Become more interested in a person’s character rather than the package they are in. Look beyond the color or disability or size and into their heart. It might seem too simple to change the explosion of racial tension that is threatening to implode our country, but we need to stop running down the agonizing road of hate and dissension. It didn’t work in the ‘60’s and it won’t work now.

How do you view people? By color? By faith? By actions? By sin?

Take these to Jesus and let Him guide you through scripture for a fresh revelation.

Our hearts are messy with sin, weakness, and judgment. We feast on selfishness, pride, and ambition. On our own we can accomplish nothing, but with Jesus we can conquer the bitter bile of racial conflict and social tension.

Lord, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence;
Take not Thy holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation;
And renew a right spirit within me.

God bless you,

Wounded Spirits

My heart sank as I read a post on FB from a teen I know. The words she wrote were clear, poignant, and upsetting. In a few words, she exclaimed that kids at school had called her horrible names, avoided or bumped into her in the hallways or teased her unmercifully. The comments her friends posted either encouraged her feelings of despondency by agreeing that life was worthless or wrote bland statements like “sorry.”

I was outraged when I read the responses, and I immediately got in touch with her mother. The child and her family meant a lot to me. I was not going to stand by and shrug my shoulders. This could send her into a spiral of depression or worse. I dreaded the call, but as soon as I began talking the mother shut me down politely, stating she saw the email and was all over it. That’s my kind of mom.

A few days later, my granddaughter who is almost 15-years-old sent out a FB “share” on the topic of bullying. I was so proud of her and immediately shared the post, hoping people would also share it with their friends.

Two weeks later, a teen in my area committed suicide. Rumor spread that it was from incessant bullying at school and on social media. The incident left me feeling numb. If it was bullying, I kept wondering if the teen had suffered in silence or spoke and no one had listened. This line of thinking can weigh heavy on your heart.

Pacer Center writes, “One out of every 4 students report being bullied during a school year. Sixty-four percent of children who were bullied did not report it, only 36% reported the bullying.” (www.bullyingstatistics.org)

The statistics on bullying and suicide are alarming. Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University.

Focus on the Family, a Christian based organization, has an extensive article on bullying. It is packed with information that will help you or someone you know to deal with this societal crisis. Please check it out on:

            http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/schooling/bullying/the-wounded-spirit

Knowledge and detection of bullying could save a child from harassment. It could save a life.

Bullying is offensive. It is an act of hatred. Bullying has created new words that cause my soul to bristle in disbelief. Bullycide (term used when someone being bullied commits suicide) and cyberbullying (FB and social media threats and condemnations) are just two. It’s wrong and has to be understood that it is a violent act and has to be stopped.

Now I have to confess the other tragedy of bullying. It doesn’t just happen to children, it happens to adults, too. Yes, adults.

I happened to share this story with a group of women I’m friends with. While the majority said people made too much of the subject and it was a child thing, two women in our group dropped their head and pulled their hands into their laps. Noticing this, I asked the more outspoken one what she thought about the subject. Taking a deep breath before speaking, she admitted she had been bullied at her workplace. She said she put up with it for 2 years before leaving the job and taking a lower paying one.

The second lady, who had been listening intently, spoke up saying she too had been bullied as an adult. This time by a sister-in-law who began spreading hurtful things about her at church. It got so stressful and upsetting that she and her husband left their home church and joined another one out of town. Neither of these ladies knew the other’s story, but as they began to talk about the effects of biting comments and tacky maneuvers, you could see them begin to heal. At the end of the meeting, we all prayed for them to lay their burden at the foot of the Cross and allow the power of Jesus Christ to heal their wounded spirits.

One thing we have to emphasize to the victim of bullying is that they are never alone. Kari Jobe has a beautiful song out called “I Am Not Alone.” What a comfort to know we have a Mighty God who is with us always. Please check out Kari’s song at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfveawSAHJA

Let me add that scripture is imperative. It wraps its tentacles of love around a child or adult who have dealt with the hurt of bullying. Saying scripture over a situation can diminish its effects.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

Pray for the victims of bullying and the ones who bully. Both are in desperate need. Prepare yourself with knowledge, so you can give sound advice and assistance when needed. Don’t stand by and delude yourself that this is merely a child experience or that it’s not ruthless in its effect.

God bless you!

Top Pinned Post on Pinterest

Okay, I’m addicted to Pinterest. It’s out, and I’m guilty.

I love posting spiritual and biblical quotes hoping to inspire someone or tantalize them to stop and consider living a Godly life. It’s my mini ministry that I do for about an hour a day, if I can manage it.

Over the last 6 months, I have been amazed and startled that the #1 pin on my account comes from Exodus 14:13-14. That particular pin has been posted and re-posted daily. Some days I see it come through many times over. I’m astounded that it could have such an impact. So I decided to delve into it and see why people are so drawn to these verses.

I queried several of the pinners who had re-posted it and basically got back the same comment written a little differently, but with the same meaning. All talked about the verses giving them the strength and courage to let go and let God do.

This comment was a little different, but one that resonated with me.

            “Most of my life, I’ve been rushing ahead of God and paying the price. Going forward I’m going to wait on God’s will and timing. I’ve given my life over to the Lord. I’m waiting for the victory in Jesus’ name.”

All this talk over a couple of verses had me looking it up and verifying why it’s so poignant. Let me tell you, these two verses are powerful and just as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.

Let me recap the scenario so you will know what I mean.

            Moses leads the people of Israel out of Egypt and camps them near the Red Sea per God’s instruction. God then tells Moses that He’s going to harden Pharaoh’s heart, knowing the outcome will be retaliation on the Israelite people, but in the end total annihilation for the Egyptians.

            God says for them to put away their fear, stand in faith and let the Lord fight the battle.

            As Pharaoh draws near to the Israelite encampment, they swell with fear. They realize Death is riding in two directions. Turning in one direction they stared at the Red Sea, and in the other direction Pharaoh’s army thundering closer and closer.

            Then the people begin to cry out to the Lord, blaming Moses for leading them into a death trap. At this point, they cry out that they would rather be servants to the Egyptians than die in the wilderness.

            That’s when Moses delivered, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. . . The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

These are hard words. I have deliberately prayed over these verses. Could I have stood firm and still, watching as Pharaoh’s army advanced?

I pray I would remember the Lord’s past miracles and deliverance over many circumstances in my life. I pray I would hear the power in these words and the promise.

Do not fear. Stand firm. The Lord will fight for you.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got an issue in my life that I have wrestled with. I’ve tried to handle it, but I haven’t been delivered from it.

Maybe the “I” in my previous sentence just answered my dilemma.

Do I truly trust God to do what He says He will do? Jesus said to place our burden on Him.

My heart cries “yes”.

I’m going to stand firm and know my God is a mighty God and can do what I cannot do. I will wait on His will and timing. I realize that on my own, I have accomplished nothing to solve the issue.

I’m giving it over to God.

Do you have something you need to be delivered from? Let the Lord fight for you and be still.

God bless you.

Wall Ball

When my brother was a young boy, he used to go outside, throw a ball at the side of the house, and spend hours catching, throwing and running after it. Sometimes I could tell if he was upset about something because he would throw that ball with all the strength his young body could muster.

Recently I realized I’m kind of doing the same thing. Not with a ball, but with life issues: disappointments, failed goals, insecurity, and uncertainty. I stand tall and make my declaration that I am done with a particular issue. I pray over it and throw that ball of concern to God. But instead of turning around and leaving with certainty that God would take care of it, I’d run as fast as I could to retrieve the very thing that was weighing me down.

I don’t necessarily do this consciously. But it’s pretty evident when I am overwhelmed and overburdened over the same problem that I’m still holding onto it. That’s when I realize I never gave it away at all.

Why? Do I not trust God to handle the issue? Am I that much a control freak? Do I fear God won’t handle it the way I would? Do I struggle with waiting and being patient on God’s timing?

Philippians 4:6-7 states, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.”

By retrieving the concern, I’m losing the peace God has promised me. When I walk away from the burden, the peace promised keeps my mind settled on God’s will and His timing. I begin to see the things God places in my hand, those things he wants me to manage, and I know His blessing is attached to each for success. I can feel it.

Getting rid of the stuff I can’t control has allowed God to fill up my life with grander opportunities.

Remember the song “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”?

Oh what peace we often forfeit.

Oh what needless pain we bear.

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

I think I’m going outside and throw some balls of concern to Jesus. And, I’m not picking up one of them. Not this time. This isn’t a game. It’s my declaration that I do trust God to handle the things I cannot seem to manage on my own.

Do you have a ball of concern you need to throw to Jesus? If so, don’t snatch it back just to worry over it anew. Affirm that Jesus can handle your concern. Kiss it goodbye, throw it as hard as you can. Turn around and walk away. Jesus has a large mitt and never fails to catch everything we throw His way.

God bless you always!

Greatest Love of All: Forgiveness

 

Mark 11:25 “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

1 John 1:9  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Matthew 6:15 “But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Forgiveness.

Dylann Storm Roof, age 21, walked into a bible study group at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, sat down, listened to Jesus’ name being called up in holy reverence, and then pulled out a gun, and shot nine attendees.

Forgiveness. It’s the hardest thing most of us will ever face.

I sat and listened to the news report. My chest ached and tears flowed. How could this happen? What evil possessed this young man? How could he have sat there and heard the precious words of our Lord and Savior, look out over those beautiful, God-loving faces, and then commit such a dastardly deed?

It is beyond comprehension.

But God has used this evil to His glory. Can this really be possible? Oh yes!

Jesus set the example on the cross when he hurled his weakened voice to heaven, proclaiming, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

Now we see forgiveness expressed after this atrocious crime.

Marcus Stanley posted on Dylann’s facebook page, “I don’t know you . . . I don’t look at you with the eyes of hatred or judge you by your appearance or race, but I look at you as a human being that made a horrible decision to take the lives of 9 living and breathing people. . . Give your heart to Jesus and confess your sins with the heart of forgiveness. He is the only one that can save your soul and forgive you for the terrible act you have done. I love you Dylann, even in the midst of the darkness and pain you’ve caused, but more importantly because HE loves you. . .”

Marcus began the example of Christ-like forgiveness. He did not know Dylann. He did not know the 9 children of God who lost their lives. But Marcus knew Jesus. He knew what it meant to forgive. And he paved the way.

Standing in a courtroom, the relatives of the Charleston church shooting victims gave emotional statements. Through tears and with broken hearts, they told Dylann that they forgave him for taking the lives of their loved ones.

“Although my grandfather and the other victims died at the hands of hate, this is proof . . . everyone’s plea for your soul is proof they lived in love and their legacies will live in love,” the grandson of 74-year-old Daniel Simmons said. “So hate won't win.”

Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. told Associated Press, “A hateful person came to this community with some crazy idea he’d be able to divide, but all he did was unite us and make us love each other even more.”

Forgiveness. It’s hard, but we know from Scripture that forgiveness begins the healing of hearts. It’s the power and strength that resides within us—The Power of the Almighty!

“Forgive them for they know not what they do.”

We’ve been given a powerful lesson in forgiveness.

Is there someone you need to forgive? Is there someone who is harboring unforgiveness that you know? Reflect on this post. What would Jesus do?

God bless you,

Angela

Even the Strongest Believers Question at Times

 

Hard questions.

“My daughter just blurted out that she was questioning if God really exists.”

“My son just told me that he was a nonbeliever.”

“My teacher said that God wasn’t real.”

When someone presents these kind of questions to you, how do you respond? Do you have scripture on the tip of your tongue? Do you react by refuting the idea? Do you sit in silence not knowing what to say?

Elisabeth Elliot said, “Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them.”

Elisabeth implies, or so I assume, that we know where to find answers to life’s questions. We go directly to the source, God’s Word. And that’s certainly valid. However, if you’re not a student of scripture or familiar with the varying themes, this answer might seem daunting.

As Christ followers, we want to be able to validate the One whom we love. But how?

“Christ has no body on Earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good, and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.” (St. Teresa of Avila)

Of all the things we could do or say, I believe our lives speak volumes about where our faith lies and who the cornerstone of our faith is. We do this by living intentionally for Christ and trying to be like Him.

 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to My Father.” (John 14:12)

Now, let me clarify something. We are not saved by our works, but we are saved for works. Our works are a manifestation of our love for Jesus. We do because we love Him. It’s as natural a response as drinking the water God provides to quench our thirst.

“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) Throughout the scripture, Jesus showed us example after example on how to live. The word “follow” and “serve” become a way of life.

Okay, I apologize. In the middle of writing this post, my fifteen-year-old granddaughter texted me, asking me to listen to Eric Church’s song, “Like Jesus Does”. Maybe this is the very example Jesus wanted me to use for this post. There’s no doubt that people in our culture are starving for affection and validation. The very thing Jesus did so well is the very thing that will lead more people to believe in Him. Pouring out my love on others to show the passion in my heart for the Father might be the most powerful way to demonstrate that our God lives! God’s love is our template. The fruit of the Spirit is our behavior modifiers.

This song is a little crude, but the world is crude, unloving and questioning. Love them like Jesus does. He’d probably be at dinner with this man. You know that’s true!

"Like Jesus Does" by Eric Church

I'm a long-gone Waylon song on vinyl,

I'm a back row sinner at a tent revival,
But she believes in me like she believes her Bible,
And loves me like Jesus does.

 

I'm a lead foot leaning on a souped-up Chevy,

I'm a good old boy, drinking whiskey and rye on the levee,
But she carries me when my sins make me heavy,
And loves me like Jesus does.

 

All the crazy in my dreams,

Both my broken wings,
Every single piece of everything I am,
Yeah, she knows the man I ain't,
She forgives me when I can't,
The devil, man, no, he don't stand a chance,
'Cause she loves me like Jesus does.

 I always thought she'd give up on me one day,

Wash her hands of me, leave me staring down some runway,
But I thank God each night, and twice on Sunday,
That she loves me like Jesus does.

 

Yes, she knows the man I ain't,

She forgives me when I can't,
That devil, man, he don't stand a chance
She loves me like Jesus does.

Hast Thou No Scar?

            After our first session at The Cove, I knew God needed my full attention. The whole idea of testing and examining my relationship with Christ caused me to pause. I truly felt He had brought me to this beautiful place to settle into who He was. I could sense my hunger rising.

            As Dallas and I walked the trails and breathed in the clean, crisp mountain air, all our tension and anxiety began to dissipate. About every twenty or so feet on the trail there would be a scripture plague to savor. Dallas and I felt God needed us to rest in him and continue to eat the fruit of the Spirit that the speaker would continue to offer.

Philippians 3:10 “. . . that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, . . . ”

            Know Him, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.

            That’s a lot to process.

            Knowing Jesus is one thing. Understanding His miraculous, powerful resurrection is another. But to fellowship in suffering . . . well, that’s insufferable. How can I even begin to find fellowship in Jesus’ sufferings? When I think of how much Jesus suffered because of my sins, I find no fellowship in this. Yet Paul says we are to fellowship in His sufferings. How? Why?

Isaiah 53:5 states, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

            God knew there was only one way to rebuild a relationship with His people. He sent Jesus to pay the ultimate price . . . death, inconceivable punishment, and agony. He did this for me. For you. It is by Jesus’ wounds that we are healed and can find peace. Can we believe this?

            After Jesus’ death, the disciples gathered behind locked doors fearing persecution and possible death for their affiliation with Jesus. When Jesus appeared to them, they were aghast. Thomas was not there. When he showed up, the disciples told him the glorious news. Jesus is alive. Thomas was outraged at their impertinence. “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand in His side, I will not believe.”

            Eight days later, Jesus shows up again, holds out his hands, and lifts his tunic for Thomas to see His wounds. Jesus told Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”  And Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!” Thomas saw and believed.

            What about us? We haven’t seen the wounds. They are only the horror our minds have conjured up and possessed from scriptural readings and theatrical performances.

            Jesus said to Thomas, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blesses are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

            Thomas saw the wounds.

            Okay . . . think about this for a moment because this almost brought me out of my seat.

            Why were there still wounds on the resurrected Jesus? Why was He not perfect and whole?

            Dr. Price said the wounds are what binds us to our risen Lord. By His wounds we are healed. When Jesus stretched out his hand to Thomas, He was also stretching them out to us. He invited Thomas and us to put our hand in His wounds. Look and touch.

            Jesus asked us to behold and look at His suffering and believe in order for Him to provide us peace and healing. All those disciples who were barricaded inside that room, full of hurt and fear, can now put it all into the wounds and sacrifice of Jesus. He asked us not to carry the doubt and confusion, but to touch Him, put our hands into His wounds and let him carry our pain; so, that we might have peace and healing.

            Jesus was essentially saying, “Thomas it’s not over. Hey, touch me! My yoke is easy. Let me carry yours, too.”

            That’s why the wounds of Jesus are our point of deepest relationship. He shows us His wounds and says “touch Me”. We show Him our wounds, praying for Him to please touch me. Touch the hurt; You understand. Touch my brokenness, heartache, pain, doubt, and fear. You who have suffered all of it, touch me. Let me lean into You, Father, because You are the only one who understands. Our wounds are what joins us together.

            Are you hanging on hard to your wounds? Picking at them. Keeping them raw. Give them to the one who suffered greatly. Draw yourself into the brokenness of Jesus, into the very wounds that can redeem, heal, and give us peace.

            Reflect on the words to this song, “Worthy is the Lamb” by Hillsong

Thank you for the cross Lord

Thank you for the price You paid

Bearing all my sin and shame

In love You came and gave amazing grace

Thank you for this love Lord

Thank you for the nail pierced hands

That washed me in Your cleansing flow

We are saved by His wounds, wounds that were permanently scarred in His hands. We all have scars.  What are you doing with your wounds and scars?

            Here’s one of my favorite poems:

No Scar

by Amy Carmichael

Hast thou no scar?

No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?

Yet I was wounded by the archers, spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned:
Hast thou no wound?

No wound, no scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And, pierced are the feet that follow Me;
But thine are whole: can he have followed far
Who has no wound nor scar?

 

 

Living In the Fullness of Christ

 

 

            Our first speaker at The Cove was Dr. Charles Price, senior pastor of The Peoples Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His weekly television program, Living Truth, is broadcast across the United States, Canada, and more than 60 other countries throughout the world.

       

These are my prayerful considerations from Dr. Price’s first lecture.

            “Test yourself to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless you fail the test.” 2 Corinthians 13:5

 

            Dr. Price opened up our first session at The Cove with this scripture. Before arriving, I had prayed for a word or scripture to embolden me in my faith. Dr. Price slammed me with this verse. Test yourself. Examine yourself. The words stung and pierced. Was I a true believer? Was I a follower who was Christ centered? Did my actions represent who I am in Christ?

            Ian Thomas stated, “To so many people, the Lord is in danger of being no more than a patron saint of our systematic theology instead of the Christ Who is our life.”

            I want Jesus to be my life, my hero. I want others to see Jesus in me.

            Test yourself.

            No one can tell me if I’m a born again child of God. It’s the inner witness of the Spirit that shows me this. It’s only been in the last few years that I realized I had to die to myself to make room for Jesus. The whole concept seems insurmountable. Die to self? We aren’t programmed to do this. Our sinful nature wants to be fulfilled in ways that are not Christ-like. Our culture teaches us to live life to the fullest and please ourselves. Nothing we see suggests we should die to self.

            So how do I die to self?

            I become less so He can become more. The things of the world become less attractive to me. I begin to see truth in places where I once saw lies as acceptable. Once I began to see the startling difference, it was exhilarating and terrifying because I had to admit that the things that used to be impressive and flattering weren’t. Then I had to say “no” and disappoint people who didn’t understand that I’d changed. If I thought it was hard to change, it was harder to hear others tell me they liked me better before “the Jesus thing”.

            “Those who obey His commands live in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us.” (1John 3:24)

            Jesus lives in us by the indwelling Spirit of God.

            Examine yourself to see if you are becoming more Christ-like.

            1. Are you hungry to know more about Jesus? The Holy Spirit resides in us. His work is Christ centered. When we begin to draw closer to Jesus, the Holy Spirit creates an appetite in us for Christ. The more we learn about Jesus, the more we desire to live like Him. As we grow closer to God our relationship deepens. Paul said, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death.”

            The process to grow Christ-like is an ongoing process like any other relationship that is worth having and important to us.

            2. Do you hunger to be more like Christ? Qualities of Jesus are found in Galatians 5:22. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

            As I read these attributes, I checked off quite a few. Then I got to the one on self-control. A wall rose to great heights like a perpetual stumbling block. Here comes the battle between the spirit and self. I reread the attributes again. Patience struck a sour note. I haven’t been patient lately. I profess I’m tired, but isn’t that part of the self-control? Jesus, I’m in need of an overhaul!!!

            What I realized was the fruit of the Spirit is not like picking a bouquet of flowers and inhaling their beautiful aromas. Fruit is to be eaten. I have to consume the fruit to squelch my hunger, to be more Christ-like so I can feed fruit to others.

            Being like Jesus is not a trip to the fair. It’s more like going into the projects, or sitting with the homeless, the outcasts, and the misfits. It means denying self and not saying what we’d like to say in the midst of being tired, but refraining and reflecting on the situation and circumstance before speaking. To recognize that thrusting out bitter words is caustic, but when we purpose ourselves to act in love the outcome is usually quite different. This is so hard. Can I repeat this? It’s hard to push our feelings to the back, but when we remember the Holy Spirit resides in us as our Counselor then we are more apt to pause before acting.

            3. Are you hungry to serve like Jesus? This is one I can answer with a definite “yes”. I am hungry to serve. I search for avenues to be Jesus’ hands, feet, and eyes. I’m hoping this blog will be another ministry for me. There are so many ways to serve and so many needs to fill. As you grow closer in your relationship with Jesus, He will guide you to serve in capacities and areas you could never have envisioned.

            But I want to serve knowing I am using the fruit of the Spirit spontaneously in my home and on the ministry field. If I can’t be the wife, mother, and Nana I need to be, I may not be the servant I need to be. If I’m not in God’s Word, I may not be the witness He needs me to be. Daniel said he resolved not to defile himself. Resolve is self-control. I’ve got a lot of work to do!!

            Test and examine yourself.

            Do you recognize Jesus is in you? You might not until you fail the test.

Session 2 of the session from The Cove will broaden our understanding on how we can live in the fullness of Christ.

            God bless you!

Faith:

Faith “is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1)

            I love Martin Luther King, Jr’s quote, “Faith is taking the first step when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

            All I can think of when I read this quote is trying to make it up the staircase in the Currituck Lighthouse. Being slightly claustrophobic, it’s all I can do to put one foot in front of the other. If someone is coming up close behind me, I panic. There’s nowhere to go! There’s nothing to hang onto. The wall is slick as glass. If you lose your footing, there’s no place to go but down!

            Several years ago, my granddaughter would hear none of my whining about not going up to the top of the lighthouse. She literally pushed me up the first step and became my encourager with each step I took after that. “You can do it, Nana!”

            I thought I was doing really well. I finally took my eyes off my feet and actually looked ahead. Then this rotund man decided I was going too slow and squeezed past me, causing me to almost lose my balance. It was not a pretty sight. But my granddaughter put her hand on my back and said, “I’ve got you, Nana!”

            My granddaughter’s hand became a physical presence of reassurance and faith that I could make it up those steep, winding, narrow steps. Plus I knew her, trusted her. Our relationship and love gave me extra comfort.

            But what about God? How do I establish faith in an unseen God?

            Trust me, I’ve struggled with this. Wondering. Questioning. When I shared my doubts with a sweet, elderly woman in my church, she said, “Read the Bible.” Read the Bible? I left thinking the woman was a simpleton; she hadn’t helped me at all. Just read the Bible?

            I picked at verses and chapters, nothing made sense. I went back to my church friend and announced, “I’m so confused. Where do I begin?” She looked at me as if I had two horns and pronounced, “Read John! Get to know your Savior.” I didn’t question her.

            Her advice began my daily journey into discovering faith. Let me confess, crawling into the Bible wasn’t easy. It was often hard to digest, being firm, bold, and relentless. Then one day, I ran across Romans 10:17. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

            I remembered my friend’s words. She didn’t tell me what faith was. She sent me to the source to find it for myself. That’s when I declared her to be a spiritual genius. Well, in my limited knowledge of geniuses, she was a genius!

            “To one who has faith no explanation is necessary, to one without faith, no explanation is possible.” (Thomas Aquinas)

            Faith is too grand to be fully explained. It is a way of life, an awakening to something more than we can ever become. Faith comes through a relationship with Jesus.

            Last summer, I sat staring up at the lookout area on top of Currituck Lighthouse. With a huge sigh, I went inside, paid my entry fee, walked to the first step, and hesitated. Looking up at the circular steps I uttered, “Jesus, you’ve got my back on this one.”

            I kept my head up, imagining Jesus walking ahead of me and standing behind me. My breath stabilized. With each step, I became more confident. By step sixteen, I could have cried. We were doing it. I wanted to high-five Jesus, but stopped when I heard two teenagers say, “excuse me”. The next few steps were swallowed up behind a wall. I could not see them, and the teens were shoving and pushing one another to see who could climb up faster.

            I reached into my pocket, grabbed the index card I had placed there the night before, and read, “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of the faith is to see what you believe.” (Saint Augustine)

            My back straightened. I could almost feel the light pressure of a hand. Taking one step at a time, I began my ascent. Two more people passed me. I kept moving forward. When I reached the top, I realized the journey wasn’t really about climbing Currituck Lighthouse. It was about confirming my faith. It was a pivotal moment for me, one that continues to be affirmed

            “The assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

            Faith.