Keep hope alive...Chose life

CHRIST IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE...

In Christ we have life.

The first will be last and the last will receive a crown...a crown of Life!

Today begins Advent.

This Sunday represents Hope...

We have many ways of isolating and protecting ourselves. We live in a world that is not always kind and we get hurt. Most of everything in our lives that is worth anything is out of our control. Faith can be not what is seen but what is unseen. Love can be risky. But it is so worth the risk.

I have learned that life is beautiful. My friend Penny use to say life is a gift and it is.  It is not as animated as psychosis.  It is true to its own.  It is real.  It is lovely.  It is Gods joy and delight to help us rely on Him to love Him and others through the Spirit.  We cannot do this on our own.  We are to weak.  To fearful.  To self centered.  We need the love of Jesus to make our lives worth living.

I visited my friend Martha Newton during the holidays.  While there I visited with my friends relative.  She shared with me her view of life. She said we are all cogs. I didn't understand what she meant. She said we are cogs on a wheel that keep the clock turning. When one of us removes ourselves, as we do, the clock does not run smoothly.  She said no matter what our calling we are all the same.  It does not matter if you are a mom of little children or have no children at all.  Whether you are a bible teacher or have a blog with hundreds of followers...in Gods eyes we are all the same. Beautiful, delighted in and rejoiced over.

 Remember it is God that gives the grace to accomplish what you are called to do.  So no glory goes to any of us.  But the joy of being used by God is shared among us and with Him.   We are unique people, in various giftedness in different roles of life.  It is so beautiful the body of Christ.  

When one of us is suffering we all suffer with him.  When one of us rejoices we all rejoice to.  We are to carry each others burdens.  Teach each others to rely on Christ alone.  Ask for the help of the Spirit.  May we suffer well...when we don't and we fail.  It is Christ suffering and His joy that we experience.   It is His life that is ours.  It is insanity to keep doing the same things and expect a different results.  So we may need to change our way of thinking to experience life as God has intended.

We cannot experience this beautiful life if we are isolated or have the illusion that our addictions will protect us.  Only by moving out of my psychosis and my safe places have I experienced how beautiful this life can be.  We have a choice.,,,

WE CAN CHOSE LIFE

LIFE LIVES WITHIN US...

We can dabble in choosing life and we do.  We experience a little joy.  We may be with friends and even help others then we return to our safe place and the cycle repeats itself.  Jesus wants us free.  Free to love others and to experience life. The more we surrender our days, our lives to Jesus the more He frees us from clinging to ourselves and our false securities.

When we connect with others lives, as Jesus did through incarnation, we experience Him.  Be creative.  Try something new.  Let go of yourself and focus on Jesus.  Receive the gifts and blessings that God has for us in Christ.  Just live. Hold your plans loosely this Christmas seasons.  Commit them to the Lord. Enjoy creation.  As for the grace to be thankful how God will keep His promises in all situations.  Ask the Spirit to bring your life, a life of praise.  Pray for the poor, the lost and those you love.  Remember your Savior is always praying for you.

Do not let fear or satan rob you of life this holiday season.  Face your giants with the courage of Daniel, David.  Be Ester.  Know you are here for such a time as this.  Be with me and learn to live as a little child.  Recently I ask my Father to give me a song.  How great thou Arn't came to mind.  I remembered when I was a young girl in a small Methodist Church and I sang in front of that small congregation, this very song.  I was beyond joy, when that beautiful song later came on the radio.  Jesus and the Father has used music to be a way of grace to me.  We can continue to do the same song and dance.   Or we can join in the dance of the Spirit.  We can hear the beautiful music of the Gospel.

We can join Jesus in this beautiful dance of Life.

Time alone with God is beautiful or it maybe grueling at times.  But there is freedom in casting your cares on the cross of Christ.  Confessing your sins before a holy God.  Desperation and need are sometimes when life begins with Jesus.

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So I challenge you to join me in choosing life... this holiday season. Life brings pain but so much joy and beauty. This is an imperfect world that we live in. It is not our home. But while we are here on this earth we can live life to the fullest.  We can pray for Gods kingdom to come on earth.   Chose to see the good in others and open our hearts to the beautiful plan God has for us in a fallen world. Just let it unfold.  Just be held...It is the very life of Jesus that we live.  We are so safe in Him.

Encourage and give joy away. People need a kind word, a helping hand and love. It can be a wonderful holiday, remembering the birth of our Savior. 

LOVE CAME DOWN FOR YOU AND ME

Use your gifts, to love  those hard to love, those in pain, those who have less that we do. If we just take the time to pass the love of Jesus to the world around us, there will be something so magical happen within your very soul and the world around you. Joy is contagious. Hope is found. People are amazingly unique. 

The Lord loves a generous giver. What better gift to give others this season than yourself! Just as our Lord did. He risk it all to come to rescue us. He did it for the joy. We can to!

LOVE CAME DOWN

MAY WE SPREAD THIS LOVE AMONG OURSELVES AND OTHERS.