My Friend

There is no greater love than this...That we lay down our lives one for another. (Paraphrased me.)

My friend...
I have written before about my wonderful friends. Tonight I want to write you about one special one who is totally different than me. She is type A, controlling aggressive. I am type B, controlling passive. We have one thing in common we are both controlling. lol But the thing is we love each other. She teaches me how to speed things up. I teach her how to slow down. She works. I meditate. We are good for each other.
I don't know of anyone who has loved me through the years any more than she has. She knows the good, bad, and ugly about me. She loves the Lord and loves with His love but has been hurt by religion. She does not go to church but loves Jesus and she loves me well.
She comes to my messy house and rearranges, cleans, plants flowers, brings homemade sweets to my guest, flowers and expects nothing in return. She loves me with the love of Jesus. She has worked in my house tirelessly and selfishly. She is my unconditional friend who puts her money where her mouth is. It has taken us a while to figure this thing out. How to love someone so different from you that you lay down your life for each other. But we have come so far. She is amazing. It doesn't matter when I call or how often she is there. Feeling my pain, understanding, being there for me, giving me hope. She encourages me and pushes me beyond what I can do. We both know it is Jesus in us.
I love her beyond words. She has taught me so much, about love, and hospitality and believing in yourself. She has shown me the way in practical ways that I could not grasp without her. She has been Jesus to me.
I love you dear friend...you know who you are.

I Can't Take It

I have been busy planning a surprise birthday party for my daughter. As her friends and I contacted co-workers, family, other friends of the family and her sons parents that she was close to, clients, the closer it got the harder I worked and the more excited we all got with the anticipation of what her reaction might me. I would pray...please Lord let her feel loved. As I went from person to person thanking them for coming, they would say, "we love Jennifer". Some came from great distance for a night of party and fun and to love on Jennifer. They came with gifts of sentimental value, my mothers wedding ring, pictures of my mom and also of Jen growing up. As she went from one person giving her love and gifts to another, the tears began to flow down her cheeks. She is not one to burst into tears like her mom but her joy could not be contained. She said, "I can't take it."
She was so touched and happy she began to burst from the inside out that we all were feeling and sharing in her happiness and joy. She was completely caught off guard and so surprised that so many from all of her walks of life would gather to gather.   It was more than she could receive being with the ones she so loved all in one place at one time.

This is a picture of Christ, Father and Spirit in my life. Then are continually working to bring me into goodness. They give me blessings and gifts beyond my wildest dreams. It is out of an abundance of love for me. It just must be expressed and the way of love is giving. So many times I am caught completely off guard. It is something that is beyond my comprehension or expectance of anything that could happen to me. I am loved in a love I have never known. I am overcome. I cannot contain it.  "I can't take it."  It runs over like the flow of water from a water fall spilling into a greatness of existence. 

Do you look for the blessing? Does it catch you off guard? We must learn to receive and expect goodness from our Father.  We have no idea how much He loves us.   He longs to give us beyond measure. In a way we never could fathom. The heights of it all is pleasure and enjoyment and delight in Him. He sees it in is our faces. Our step is different. The way we deal with life and others is unexpected. We have a confidence and trust in Him and what He can do that is completely opposite to our ways and beyond us. We have insight and wisdom. He brings others into our lives to bless us, encourage, and strengthen us when we can't go on or just for plain enjoyment. He experiences our joy with us. He is pleased as we are pleased with Him and His gifts. 

Nothing made me happier than seeing the look on my daughters face. It was all worth it. The work was giving reward. We all could just sit back and enjoy the party and each other and her. It was more wonderful than I had imagined. She was living in the fullness of all our love for her. We are living in the fullness of the love of God. There is no greater blessing.

The Change Maker

Are you letting difficult people, your past or suffering in the present keep you from intimate relationship with God? Are you saying when this is different then I will be close to God? When I am different I will draw near?  When I stop this addiction, change my attitude, believe more or get organized or have time then I will seek His face.  Has doubt flooded your heart?  Has fear overcome you?

 We try to fix ourselves and our lives apart from God. We try to save ourselves and others.  We are afraid He might not do it like we want.  Or when we want.  Or the way we want.  "I can't trust Him."  I can't let go of my life.   It might be painful.  I don't want to hurt anymore.  When we try to protect ourselves from pain we cannot feel the joy.  When we open ourselves to feeling the pain and going to Him as our comforter, the joy is so great the suffering is a minor not a major anymore.  When we confess our doubt and lack of faith, can God really do what He says He will do?  Our faith is strengthened. We experience His fullness.  It is like a mother who suffers greatly in the labor of having her child.  When she sees and holds that precious child, creation of God, the importance of the experience of the pain fades in compassion.  There is no more tears, fears or doubts, just laughter and happiness and excitement.  It is the birth you have waited so long for.  Finally it has arrived.  That is all that matters.  It is Jesus in you that has come to fruition.

You don't go through these things to get to God. You go through God to these things. God changes us and people and circumstances. We don't change them and us and then go to Jesus. Your relationship with others does not determine your relationship with God. God is the maker. Jesus made way for our relationship with God.  We are totally accepted, loved, forgiven.  He said that He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it.  He is the redeemer.  He makes wrong things right.  He makes things whole. It will not be the way you hoped for or planned.  It will be so much better.  He is so much bigger that we can imagine.  He works in such bigger ways.  Everyone and everything that is touched will be in His hand for good.  You will be amazed.  It will be a grand miracle.  It will be in and through Him.  In His time and His way.  His glory will be revealed in a way you never would imagine.  God is great, God is good!

And if difficult people or your circumstances haven't changed. If you feel weak and of little faith.  Hang on.  Your joy is in the Lord, in the love relationship between you and Him.  It is not in your life getting smooth.  It may never be easy.  But that cannot be your hope.  Your hope is Jesus, Father and Son.  Experiencing His presence.  That is where you trust people to Him.  THat is where you are willing to let circumstances go.  That is where the fears melt into courage.  That is where faith grows.  That is where love is.  You are the one changed.  You say where did this love come from.  I can love the unloveable.  I can find peace and joy in all circumstances. You know your God is big and mighty to save.  It is Him in me, living.

Sharing Burdens

I have several friends hurting. This morning at 3:00 am I was praying that I might share their burdens and lighten their suffering and load. When you do this you really do feel their pain. You will shed tears on their behalf. He will catch them in a bottle.  God gives you insight as to how to pray and encourage. You then take those burdens and lay them at the foot of the cross. He will comfort you as you trust Him. Hopefully that comfort is felt by them also and their faith is strengthened. This is Jesus living through you. It is not something you can do apart from Him. It is His compassion.  You have it for others because you know His love.

Matt. 11:28-30 The Message...
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

The Heart

'God speaks to humanity through the heart, the optical organ through which one can experience the vision of God.'
We have a heart relationship with God. The heart is not only the organ that keeps us alive physically but it keeps us alive Spiritually. It is through love that we come to experience Him. The more we conceive His love for us the more we experience the existence of God and not just through knowledge of Him. We begin to believe God living in us.

Who God Uses...

1 Cor. 1:27
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, He has chosen the weak things of this world to shame the things which are mighty.

Is your life ingrown? Do you just listen to Christian music? Watch Christian movies? Read Christian books? Have relationships with Christians? Talk Christian talk?
One: God has called us to be salt and light. To take the news of Christ to a lost and dying world. To spread His love to the broken, poor and suffering. They may not all be Christians. He wants to stretch your tent. To bring many others in. Tell them your story. It is God in you. It will give them hope, faith and love.
Two: God rains on the just and the unjust. God is in everything everywhere. He reveals Himself through His creation. He speaks through even those that are not Christian as well as those that are. He blesses them as well as He does us. He displays Himself through the gifts He has given them. Enjoy them. Love them. Learn from them. Bring them in.
You may think, I can't go out and do anything for God or others that really matters. I am too young, too busy, don't know enough, too old. God wants to bless others and give you the desires of your heart to be used by Him. God does not call the equipped. He equips the called by His Spirit. But God can use a donkey. He can use a stick. Even a rock. A burning bush. A 90 year old woman to have a son. He used the blind. THe mentally illl. The sick.  A tax collector who was a wee little man. A virgin to give birth to His Son. A murder to be a man after His own heart.  A cripple to walk.  The condemned to be forgiven.  The dead to live.  The prisoner to walk free.  A boy to fight with the strength of an army.  Men to walk through fire.  To walk through water.  He has use the fearful to be fearless.  The unfaithful to show mercy.  He who stutters to deliver a message of deliverance.  A prostitute woman to be His witness.  A young boys sack lunch to feed thousands.  A shepherd to be at His birth.
He has given you love and faith. He can use anything. He can use you. He uses the unlikely. Those that are not qualified. It is about revealing His greatness through those that have failed. About revealing who He is and His love.  He uses the foolish things of this world.

He's Alive!

My husband and I were watching tv on a commentary on the return of Jesus after his resurrection. The first person Jesus appeared to as His witness of His being raised from the dead was to Mary Magalene. At that time women had little value. They were at the low end of respectability. Mary of course was a woman who He chose to appear to first as His witness to go tell the disciples of His return from the dead. THat everything He had told the disciples had come to pass. She also was a prostitute. I have heard it said that she also was mentally ill. Jesus loved her very much and had a very close relationship to her. Of all the reputable people he could have chosen He chose her. A sinner who had loved and trusted Him. Who better could tell of the love and greatness and forgiveness and presence of their Lord than the very one He loved with His heart. She knew what He had done for her. He had saved and rescued her. He had made her whole.  She was a sinner who had been loved and forgiven. Amazing Love had can it be that Jesus died for me.