I’m still pondering how the small can be so sacred.
Most of life is lived in the small, and I think the Lord is always trying to awaken us to the wonders, miracles, and marvels tucked into our everyday.
Like grass.
Yes – grass.
I never knew how much I loved it… until I lived without it.
Previous posts in this Grieving with God series:
1 – Suffering
2 – Choosing Joy
3 – Jesus Wept
4 – Walking with God through Suffering
5 – God is Strong. God is Loving
Thinking more on emotions today and how Jesus wept…
It is not accurate to say that believers shouldn’t grieve deeply. In fact, it is often God’s Spirit in us who is mourning when sorrow rolls in. He mourns with those who mourn. And many times His mourning is a beckoning – a holy invitation to go to Him. That feeling of longing that loss and sadness gives us…. is important to not ignore.
He IS the Father of all compassion and God of all comfort. There’s an entire book in His Word called Lamentations. So when Paul says, “don’t grieve as those without hope” — he is not saying do not grieve. He is saying grieve differently. Carry your grief right to the throne and let the Lord to minister you – filling you with LOVE and comfort and hope.
Continue reading “Holy Grief”
Previous posts in this series:
Suffering
Choosing Joy
Jesus Wept
Walking with God through Suffering
Life on earth really can be so hard. There’s such deep heartache, the ever-demanding rat race we are bombarded with, suffering in so many forms. Questions swirl – about theology, doctrine, society, politics. There’s so much chaos, misunderstanding, disunity, division, dysfunction… things really do feel out of order. It’s easy to get weighed down, to feel overwhelmed by all that is happening.
But this morning, the Lord encouraged my heart with a simple yet deeply anchoring reminder:
“One thing God has spoken; two things have I heard: that You, O God, are strong, and that You, O Lord, are loving.” – Psalm 62:11-12a
Continue reading “God is strong. God is loving.”
Belonging Gives Rest
“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:19
“And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ” Romans 1:6
At our core, we long for belonging. This longing transcends culture, status, and age; it’s woven into our very being. Yet Scripture tells us that we do not belong to this world. And when we seek to belong in the world – through people, subcultures, niches, or worldly pursuits – we will inevitably find them insufficient to fulfill our longings. Why? Because first and foremost, we were created to belong to Christ. In Christ. With Christ.
Once we settle this truth deep in our hearts and minds – that our ultimate place of belonging is in Christ, it changes everything. We can stop searching for fulfillment, validation, assurance, identity, and affirmation in anything and everything. We can simply abide in Christ and be His beloved child, wherever we are, whoever we are with. In Christ, we find all we need. Our restless souls can finally be at peace, secure in being known, seen, and loved by Him. The search is over. In Him we find rest.
Continue reading “The Longing to Belong”
“He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, now you have returned to the Shepherd & Overseer of your souls.” I Peter 2:24-25
“All we like sheep have gone astray” Isaiah 53:6
We all, like sheep without a Shepherd, were going astray. Before Christ saved us and gave us a new heart and new life…. we were wandering, seeking, soul-thirsty, headed for ruin, unprotected, exposed, and lonely.
Continue reading “A Soul at Rest”
Sometimes it’s very apparent when we have to “gird up the thoughts of our mind”. The thoughts have become so plentiful or negative, that we are tripping all over the place or we are truly “stuck” by them all and we are unable to move forward. We can thank the Holy Spirit for those “wake up call” times and for helping us recognize the danger we are in. We can dramatically “gird up” all the worries and cares and bitterness and negativity we have let fester and can have renewed, sharpened focus on Christ & His Word. But girding up the thoughts isn’t only a re-active action step when we’re already in danger. It is a pro-active one to too.
Continue reading “Remain”
Jesus is the source & sustainer of life.
When He, the Creator, breathed life into Adam (Gen 2:7) it was not only the beginning of humanity but also a foreshadowing of the divine plan He had prepared for His children.
In John 20:22 …He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”… This sacred breath that gave Adam physical life also breathes into us new spiritual life, sustaining us moment by moment. Every breath we take physically can be a reminder of His constant presence and the eternal life indwelling in us.
Whether we feel His presence or not…whether we feel fully alive or feel lifeless… Christ is sustaining us, always! His Spirit within us is a constant blessed assurance that we are alive in Him – not just now, but for.ever. He holds our faith together, unshaken and eternal!
He doesn’t want us to worry about how many breaths we will take on this earth. He knows exactly every breath He has for us and has hidden that from us. We are called to trust in the one who has numbered them all. Let each breath we take be a reminder that He is with us and HE IS life itself.
Continue reading “Breathe”
Recently I noticed I was really behind in my book count for the year, which made me assess why I wasn’t reading as much. It was not because I had a major downward shift in my free time. (Opposite in fact, we are in summer mode with MORE free time!) It was not because I was in a book desert and there were no appealing books on the horizon. (Opposite in fact, I have SO many great books gathering dust, crying to be read.)
When I thought about it, I realized I had also felt very distracted recently and had been having a hard time focusing for extended periods. Oh man, signs of too much technology started jumping out everywhere: high stress, high anxiety, high distraction, low focus, high comparison to others, low contentment and low peace. BUMMMERR.
But thank you Jesus, He helped me recognize what was going on and get on my knees and confess and ask forgiveness for wasting His time that He gave me, not taking care of my mind that He created, and asking for His grace and help. As always, His grace and forgiveness poured out and I was so grateful for His loving care and reasssurance.
The very next book I picked up after that confession was Jackie Hill Perry’s, “Upon Waking” and it was a divinely orchestrated moment:
Continue reading “Detox from Mind Junk Food”
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23
But how, Father? There’s so much evil, misinformation, deceitfulness, confusion, and turmoil in our country right now. I know we must be on guard against the pervasive darkness and wickedness that’s spreading. I want to “guard my heart above all else”. But how!?
I’ve found my answer:
Continue reading “Guard Your Heart”
My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore. Psalm 131
There’s a lot of things going on in our country and in the world that are alarming and attention-grabbing. But the Lord not only gives us permission to be at peace and not worry…He desires it for us! Every day, we must take the time to be at peace and relinquish all worries to the Lord’s hands. This week I have practiced visualizing myself crawling into Abba’s lap, being still, and not moving from that stillness until I feel totally content.
Continue reading “Psalm 131”
Seeds In My Heart 