Blessings

"Surely you have granted him unending blessings 

and made him glad with the joy of your presence."

- Psalm 21:6

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Today was a really good day. I woke up this morning to my baby girl's giggles over the monitor, and when I went in to pick her up, she smiled up at me and laughed, so excited to see me and be held. Once downstairs, listening to the rain hitting the windows, she snuggled into my chest and fell asleep. The moment was so sweet, that I was moved once again to thank God for my life, and the precious blessings He has given me. 

Moments like this happen everyday, and it's not unusual for Andrew to come in and find me crying over Katelyn. Confused, he'll ask: "What's wrong?" and I'll say: "Nothing, I'm just overwhelmed, she's just so perfect and I love her so much."

Sometimes God's goodness to us, indeed, even the small every day blessings, are just so tender, so loving, so precious, that I get overwhelmed. His blessings are so rich, and I am so undeserving. 

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Today's verse promises us that God's blessings are unending, and that our days as Christians can be filled with joy because The Holy Spirit dwells within us. God has given us an unending supply of blessing and joy, and those blessings are meant to encourage us, inspire us, and draw praise out of us. We ought to be living every day, aware of our blessings, and praising God for them. 

Even in the sleepless nights, even in the early morning wake up calls, God blesses me with a baby that is happy and joyful. The hour may be early, but I don't care that I'm awake because I get to spend time with my little girl. Isn't that the greatest blessing? 

We all have so much, even in the things we complain about or forget to see. But I challenge you tonight to stop and see the blessings that God has given you. Perhaps you need to examine the way you're thinking, and whether you're choosing to live in joy or in misery. Sometimes seeing the blessings around you requires a simple attitude change for your heart to see what you really have. 

God's blessings are unending, and they're a promise for you. Have you thanked God for yours today?  

Love Never Fails

^" Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not

delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 

- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

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Yesterday Andrew told you all about how we're on a new "lifestyle change", we have a meal plan to follow and a workout routine to complete everyday. We have to measure our food, stop eating after six, drown ourselves with water, and drag ourselves through these boot camp-like workouts.  

So far, we're having a lot of fun. 

If you couldn't hear my sarcasm in that last bit, let me assure you, there is nothing fun about what we're forcing ourselves to do. 

Today, in fact, was a particularly hard day. I had to be out of the house early with Katelyn, so after bath time and our morning routine I had forgotten to eat my full breakfast. So on my way out the door, I grabbed a yogurt and that had to suffice. Only, I didn't get home until 2, and by that time, my stomach was eating itself and my normally chipper disposition had flown out the window, and I was mad at the world for no real reason at all. Poor Andrew was on the receiving end of my anger, and it took me a while to be convicted about my poor attitude and the way I'd taken my frustration out on the person I love. 

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Why do I do that? Why do I let myself be caught up in moments of selfishness and pride, and loose sight of who I'm really supposed to be, and how I want to act? 

I'm sure I'm not the only one in the world who acts this way from time to time, but seeing the look on Andrew's face, and feeling God convicting my heart brought me to tears, as I realized, once again, how far I am from the person God is calling me to be. And that pain hurt more than anything. 

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Today's verse is our calling, it's the goal we all need to keep in mind as we go about living our lives, as we love the people around us. This is the pure love of our Heavenly Father, poured out to us, unconditionally, day after day. Though we will never be perfect people on this side of Heaven, it should be our daily goal to improve, and continue to die to self as we try to follow the example set here for us. 

Love is patient

Love is kind

Love does not envy

Love does not boast

Love is not proud

Love does not dishonor 

Love is not self-seeking

Love does not anger

Love keeps no records of wrongs    

Love hates evil

Love rejoices in truth

Love protects

Love trusts

Love hopes

Love always perseveres

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That's quite a list isn't it? If this list doesn't convict us to love better, I don't know what will. 

God is showing us here what true love requires, and this is why so many marriages fail, because no one wants to be corrected or held accountable for their actions. 

But as Christians, we don't have that choice. We have given our lives to Christ, and we are held to a different standard. Excuses don't hold up, and in the end, we are all responsible.

When we're close to The Father, He will do the convicting, and it will be our responsibility to hear His voice, feel His prodding, and change our habits. When we are close to our perfect God, learning from Him, and allowing Him to penetrate our hearts, loving will become easier for us, because we will be filled with more of His goodness, and less of ourselves. 

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I'm so thankful for Andrew, and how he chooses to love me, even when I don't deserve it. I'm thankful for his patience and dedication to me, and I'm thankful for the way he can correct me. 

But even more so, I am thankful for my Father, and the example of love that He gives to us. He is such a good God, so full of love and grace, and so willing to forgive me, heal me, and set me back down on a firm ground. 

It's His love that fills me up, and allows me to try harder the next day. It's His love that restores, and perseveres, even through the hardest of days. 

Praise God for that. 

 

Ouch

Hello there, this is Andrew, guest posting.

Michelle asked me if I would fill in for her.




I'm Sore

We just started doing an exercise routine today, and I was sore about half way through it.

Not just the kind of sore you wake up with either.  I'm sure tomorrow morning I'll regret my effort to get into better shape even more than I do now. The good news is that eventually the pain will go away if I continue working on it.  By day 7 or 8 I'll probably have discomfort after a good workout, and in a few weeks I might only get a little sore. That of course is assuming that I stay the course and don't skip workouts. If I were to take the next 6 days off, day 8 would be just like today.

Getting in shape takes discipline.
If you want to see results, you have to stay the course and be disciplined.
I'm really hoping that I can stay on track and lose some weight.

When Michelle asked me to write for her tonight, all I could think of was that I was sore…but I got to thinking about spiritual exercise and the pain of trying to "trim the fat" of our spiritual lives.



In fact, when we are "out of shape" spiritually it has profound effect on many aspects of our lives. Our relationships with friends, family, and co-workers will suffer greatly if we are "out of shape" spiritually. It effects our ability to witness for God.


If I were to ask a personal trainer how to get into shape they would tell me two things; diet and exercise.


Spiritually we can look at the same things.  Our food is time reading the Bible. The more time we can find to "eat" the word, the better off we will be spiritually.  On the flip side of that, there are many things that we can do that would be bad spiritual food for us.  Inappropriate movies, T.V., books and magazines, or the internet can all be like the Junk food of our spiritual lives.  Just like real food, these spiritual food types yield different results.  When we allow the spiritual junk food to take up all our time, we develop a nice spiritual spare tire around us, and we get complacent.


The exercise  that we do spiritually is time spent with God in prayer. When we confess our sins daily and commune with him, even about the small details in our lives, we are able to shed that spiritual fat buildup that we have gained.

In this world we are traveling through, it is easy to snack on the junk food.  It takes no effort to watch TV or spend hours on the internet goofing off.

Just like our physical fitness requires discipline, so does our spiritual fitness.

Discipline is not my strong suit by any means, so if it isn't yours, you aren't alone.  The good news is that God wants a closer relationship with you, and with his help, you can develop disciplines that will benefit your spiritual life.

It may require setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier in the morning, or even hitting snooze 1 or 2 less times.  It may mean you have to ask someone to be an accountability partner (like a spiritual personal trainer). Make no mistake, it will make you sore. (spiritually of course), but if getting our bodies into better shape is important, how much more important should our spirits be?

Resting in The I Am

"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; 

wait I say, for the LORD!"

- Psalm 27:14

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Perhaps one of the hardest things to do in our Christian walk, is wait for The LORD. Sometimes God requires that we pray for years before He answers, and other times we may not receive an answer until we get to Glory. It's hard to understand why God makes His children wait, why He allows suffering to continue, but the truth is that sometimes, it's just what He thinks is best, and we have to trust in His plan. 

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I hear you out there saying: "Trust? When our world is caving in, and we're crying out for help, and we hear nothing?" or: "Trust? When I've been broken for years, agonizing over a hurt in my life that God won't take away? How do I trust Him then?"

I hear you. I've been there, and I've learned the solution. 

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In order to get to a place of faith and peace that allows you to trust while God is being silent, we need to know Who God is, and Whom we are putting our faith in. God needs to be real to us, His promises need to mean something, or else we have nothing to hold onto. 

This is the problem for the lost man without Christ in his heart, he has nothing to hold onto. But this should not be the case for us! We are saved! We have The Living God within our hearts! 

Sadly, though, this is the case for many spiritually immature Christians as well. Because they have never sat at the feet of Jesus and learned of Him, they have never worked to deepen their relationship with Christ, and so they know little of Him, and His words aren't written on their heart to be their rock when trouble comes. 

Today's verse tells us to wait on our LORD, to be strong in our God, to let our heart be strengthened, but you can only do that when you're willing to trust, and believe that God is Who He says He is. 

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"I am the Lord who heals you." - Exodus 15:26

“I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger.” - John 6:35

“I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” - John 8:12   

“I am the gate; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” - John 10:9

 “I am the Good Shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.” - John 10:11

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.” - John 11:25

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” - John 14:6

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” - John 15:1  

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"I Am"

This isn't a person speaking about God, this isn't a follower of Christ telling us something they heard first hand, this is God Himself speaking, declaring: "I AM!" 

I Am The God who loves you. 

I Am The God who created you.

I Am The God who hears your cries.

I Am The God who heals you.

I Am The God who gives you life.

I Am The God who saves you.

I Am The God who sustains you.

I Am The God who comforts you.

I Am The God who gives you peace. 

I Am The God who guides you.

I Am the I Am, I have always been, and I always will be. 

These are promises that flow from our God, The I Am, Who is capable, and worthy of our trust and praise. 

Even while we are hurting. 

Even while we are waiting. 

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Once we accept God for Who He says He is, and claim these promises as our own, we are able to wait for Him to work. We are able to continue living, while we wait for God to answer. We are able to continue being faithful to God, knowing that He has not left us, and will not leave us in our current state. 

These promises become life for us, giving us hope, giving us strength, giving us courage to face anything, WHEN we believe God is Who He says He is. 

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Rest in God's promises tonight. 

Know that He is trustworthy and true, and even while you're waiting, know that He is your I Am, working on your behalf, and bringing about the solution. 

Carving Out Time

 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."…"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 

- John 14:21,23

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Since having Katelyn, life has been really hectic. It's been really difficult to live in any kind of normal routine, sleep schedules are all off, sleep itself is rare, and because our world revolves around her needs now, our entire daily map is drawn differently. To-do lists go undone, priorities change, and our entire focus has changed. From 3pm to 8pm, we try to make our older girls the priority, and shuffling all of this drama can be hard. 

Really hard. 

In a home that's turned on it's end, and a marriage that's between two sleep-deprived people, we've come to realize that living with intention is really important. If anything is going to get done, we need to make a list. If we need to leave the house, a plan must be made and executed, if Andrew & I are going to have any time together alone, help needs to be brought in, if family time is going to happen every Friday night, then schedules need to accommodate, and if we're going to keep our heads afloat, we need to be intentional. 

In the midst of this new, crazy, exciting, amazing, precious life, that we wouldn't trade for anything, Andrew & I have had to sit down, really focus on one another, and decide what's important. And one of the areas of our life that we've realized we need to be the most intentional about is our personal walks with The LORD. We need to carve out time, in order to make God a priority, and not allow the "stuff" of our day to distract us from intentional Christ-like living. 

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I'm using this word "intentional" a lot, so why don't we make sure we're all on the same page of what I'm talking about. 

Websters defines "Intention" as: "A determination to act in a certain way, or to resolve." 

So when I say we've had to live intentional lives, I'm saying, we've needed to determine to act a certain way, and choose everything in our lives to allow for that, making our daily course accommodate our plan. 

If we are going to have personal time with God in the midst of our crazy day, then we need to resolve to do it. We need to be intentional. 

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Do you know how important it is to make sure we're doing what scripture tells us to do? Today's verse tells us that in order to prove our love for God, we need to be keeping His commandments. And if we don't do that, than we are not living right lives before God. We are living separated from Him, and The Bible tells us we actually don't love God. 

You may be thinking: "Whoa, that's a bit far isn't it?" But scripture doesn't allow for excuses. God says if you love me, do what I say, and if you don't, than you never really loved me at all. God doesn't want our excuses, He wants our devotion, and He'll accept nothing less. 

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We are able to love God's commandments for us when we are able to love God, and we are able to love God when we know Him, and the only way for us to know God, is to spend time with Him, reading His word, and worshipping Him. It's through personal devotion time that we are able to learn who Jesus is, and fall deeper in love with our Savior. It's in spending this time with God everyday, that we demonstrate our love for Him. 

That's how important personal time spent with God is, and that's why we need to be so intentional about making the time to do it. We are growing closer to our God, we are learning to love Him more, and learning His plan for us, learning His Word. 

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We all live busy lives. We are all connected to the outside world all the time, through TV, radio, social media, cell phones, we feel the pressure of an encroaching world all the time. We all experience pressures at work to do overtime, children's extra-curricular activity schedules cut in, and we allow so much junk to fill up our days that we completely forget why we're really living in the first place.

To honor and glorify God. 

We fill our lives up to the tippy top, but all God requires of us is that we love Him with our whole heart. 

Life would be so much simpler if we focused on that, if we chose to live intentional lives, setting us apart from all of the craziness of our world, and allowing us to focus on our loving God who promises to reveal Himself to us when we spend time with Him. 

Doesn't this sound refreshing? Don't you just want to go erase your social calendar and mark in: "God time" in red pen, and make time with Him a priority? 

I know I do, because my heart needs it. My heart needs that kind of rest, needs the love of my Father, needs that time to just soak Him in, and allow Him to heal all of the crazy of my day. 

I need to live intentional, I need to carve out time, and I'm probably not alone. 

A Letter to my Unsaved Family: The Time Has Come

If today was my last day on earth, and I had you all in my living room, with all of your attention, there are a few things I'd want to say to you. There are some things I'd like to clear up, things I'd like to emphasize, and things I need you to know, that I need you to hear from me.

And since we never know when our last day on earth will be, I'm choosing to write this letter now, knowing that some of you will read it, and some of you will ignore it, but at least I will know that I've tried, at least I'll have had this chance to speak my heart.

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I want you to know how much I cherish you. To my Aunts and Uncles, who have cheered me along as I've grown up, who reminded me of my family roots, who always had time for me, I love you, and I appreciate your place in my life. To my cousins who have grown along with me, fallen with me, triumphed with me, my heart aches for you. I love you so much, and wish that we could be closer, and wish that as a family, we made more time for each other. Our roots go deep, and they're strong, but they can't sustain us forever if we don't feed them. I wish that as a family, we were knit closer together, bound in the love that Grandma and Grandpa started, and in the love of The Savior that they held onto so dearly.

It's in feeling this deep love for you, in knowing how precious you are, that my heart breaks over you. I so badly want to carry you to the feet of Jesus and have Him heal all of your hurts. I want to take you all by the face, look you in the eye, and tell you how much God loves you, how you're so precious to Him, how He created you all with such unique gifts and beauty, and how amazing your life could be if you could see yourself the way God sees you.

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I see you hurting, I see you making mistakes, I see you running in circles chasing who knows what, and I want to stop you, and take you by the hand and lead you to God's throne. I know you're trying to figure it all out on your own, but I so badly want to tell you to just surrender, and rest in the arms of Jesus.

What I want you to hear from me, is that He is THE ONLY Healer of your pain, the only Fulfiller to that hole in your heart, the only Worth and Purpose to your empty spirit that's grasping for acceptance. He is The Answer, and without Him, your life will never be content, you will always be fighting the need for something more.

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I know a lot of you are laughing now, scoffing at these claims, and calling my crazy. I can't pretend that it doesn't hurt me to know how you talk behind my back, how you belittle, how you make fun. It does hurt, it does cut deep, because I love you all so much. But at the end of the day, I have peace in my heart that God has put there, and I know I'm speaking truth, truth that you need to hear. I'm willing to say all of this, and have you make fun, because this is truth that you need, and you need to hear it from someone who loves you.

I'm able to stand here, and say all of this, because God has changed my life, and His truth and faithfulness are able to speak for me, and they cannot be denied. The truth of God's hand of blessing in my life cannot be denied, and I think you know that. I think you can look at my pastor Dad that you all make fun of, and know He has something you don't. I think you can see my parents marriage, and know how blessed they are. I think you can see it, staring you in the face, but you deny it, because you're scared.

You're scared because you don't know God, and you think you'll have to stop living in order to follow Him. You think following God is all about rules and judgement, but you're wrong. Living for Jesus is the most peaceful, freeing, happy, fulfilled life there is, and you need it. You know you do.

I'm saying all of this boldly, not because I think I'm special, or all knowing, but I do know WHO is all-knowing, and He has changed my life. I'm not telling you these things because I think I'm perfect, but completely the opposite- I know The ONE Who is perfect, and I'm trying to lead you to Him.

I'm not telling you to follow me, I'm telling you to follow Jesus, The One Who gave me life. I'm saying all of this boldly to you, because you need to come face to face with truth, and none of us know how many days we have left on this earth.

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Think back to Grandma and Grandpa, think about how they lived their life, think about what was important to them. They came to know Jesus as adults, after having their children and raising them, but you don't have to wait that long. Grandma and Grandpa both died unexpected, but I know they weren't scared, because they were prepared for death. They knew Who their Savior was, and they knew where they were going when they died.

Do you know? Do you know what's required of you to get into Heaven? It's not a good life, or good works done for other people. The only thing that can get you into Heaven is the shed blood of Jesus washing your sins clean. The only way you can go to Glory, and see Grandma and Grandpa again, is to accept Jesus as your Savior. To admit that you're a sinner, in need of The Savior, there's nothing else you can do.

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Do you see how important this is? This is life and death. Are you able to see how much this has eaten at me, and how badly I desire for you to see this truth?

My dear family, my heart hurts for you, and I need you to listen to me. I want to spend eternity with you. I want to see you happy, living your life in peace, full of joy and in the purpose that God intended for you. I want God's blessings for you, I want His goodness to cover you, embrace you, and lead you.

But you have to bend your knee. You have to be willing to surrender. You have to accept these words, and know that they're spoken for you, to save you, to give you life.

Do you hear me? I've got your face in my hands, and I'm pleading with you with my whole heart, will you come face to face with Jesus? Will you listen? Will you give Him a shot?

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I'm coming to you, my heart completely exposed, will you hear me tonight?

You are so loved, so precious, and you need this truth in your life.

You need to listen, the time has come.

Stopping Time

"Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow."

 - Psalm 144:4

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I've never wanted to stop time like I do now, as I hold my almost 4 month old baby girl in my arms. But every day as I see her changing more and more, and growing bigger, I have to accept the fact that time doesn't stand still, no matter how much I want it to. I hold her tight, and pray to hold onto these priceless moments, I try to memorize every detail, but even my memory fails me. There is nothing I can do to freeze time completely, capturing every smell, emotion, and feeling that I've felt. 

It almost hurts that life can be so precious, yet it passes by. You'd think that when living is this good, we could stop time and embrace the goodness, but even the good times pass by too quickly. 

This is the nature of our world, how God created us. We are but for a moment, a passing shadow in time. After all, our souls were created for eternity, not earth. 

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When my heart is aching over the thought of growing older, and those around me going on to Glory, I have to remind myself that Glory is really what we are all created for. God created us, so that we could have fellowship with Him, but He knew that we would sin, and that we would fall, and so He made a way for our souls to be saved through His death & resurrection, so that our souls could live forever in Heaven with Him. 

Despite wanting to stay young, our bodies fail us, we grow old and frail, our memories forget, our hair turns grey, and the youth we once glowed with turns to deep wrinkles, mapping out a life well-lived. Our bodies were not created to live forever, they break down, and eventually, on the day God plans for us, we close our eyes in this life, and open them in Glory. 

Glory is really what we're living for. 

Does this give your heart any hope?

Does it give you hope to know that even though our time here passes quickly, and our bodies fail us, that Glory is eternal, and that it's eternal happiness waiting for us on the other side? 

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We are only here for a moment, but God does leave us here for the time He's allowed, for the purpose of living our life for Him, and enjoying the loved ones He's put in our lives. 

Though it is true that our souls were created for eternity, God also created our bodies for earth, and for the current life you're living. We cannot wish these days away, we cannot waste them while we're here. 

If God has given you breath today, then you still have a reason to be alive, and it's your job to live your life while your here. 

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So we have to ask ourselves: "What is that purpose?" While I think God wants us to enjoy the life He's given us, I also think He requires us to work while we're here. And since we know we're really intended for Glory, shouldn't we be spending our time making sure that the people around us are ready for eternity? 

We are here to spread the Gospel, to share God's truth, to let people know that there's A God in Heaven Who loves them, Who made them, and Who died for them so that they could go to Heaven too. 

We are only here for a little while, so it's important to embrace each moment and not let time pass by without telling those we love about God. We must live with a sense of urgency, understanding that our days are numbered, and one day our work here will end. 

We have a responsibility to share our hope while we're here. 

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Go and live your life. Live in the freedom and joy of knowing that we're living for Glory. But while we're here, understand that we have a purpose, and the souls of our unsaved loved ones depend on us sharing God's plan for them. 

Our lives are but for a moment, a passing shadow in time, but oh, how important the time spent here is, don't waste it. 

True Religion that God Requires

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: 

to look after orphans and widows in their distress,

 and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." 

- James 1:27

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It's amazing how this verse is able to sum up so concisely and neatly what our Christian walk is to look like, and what God requires of us. We are given many instructions throughout scripture, on how we are to love The LORD our God will all of our heart (Luke 10:27), and to love others as ourselves (Mark 12:31). 

But beyond that, the church is pretty split on what our Christian walk is to look like. Some churched preach works, and that we prove our faith by working hard to do good deeds in The Name of Jesus. Other churches preach that we are saved by grace alone, and works are not required. Some churches teach both, that works without faith is meaningless, but faith without good works is also broken. 

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But this verse in James is pretty cut and dry: God requires that we live in this ugly world, untainted, and that while we're here, we should be looking out for those who otherwise would have no one to take care of them. Orphans and widows are people who have been outcast by our society, there is no one to look after them, and so in a lot of cases, they become burdens of the system, shuffled from one home to the next, one nursing home to the next. They are often left alone, forgotten, stripped of their worth, and left to die, as the world passes them by. God is telling us here, this should not be! 

As Christians, we are not allowed to turn a blind eye to the poor, needy and outcasts of our society. We are to draw them into the flock, care for them, love them, give of ourselves to them, and make sure they have what they need. We are called to care about these people, and to love them with the love that Christ first loved us with. 

This is the pure religion that God accepts. This is what He requires. 

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There are many in church who want to sit comfortably in their nice suits and dresses, go home to their plush houses and Sunday pot roast, shut the world out, and live in their neat little box that they've created for themselves. Many Christians look to the fallen world around them and say: "They did that to themselves, now they can live with the consequences!" I've even heard people in church say: "Don't waste our good money on those people, and don't buy them choice cut meats and fresh vegetables! They have food stamps, let them get by on those!" 

This attitude is not only shameful, but think how it must grieve God's heart. Those 'discarded' people are His too, He created them too, and it's not our place to abuse them, they are His. And we cast them aside as if they're nothing. 

God created all of us, put us in the families He chose for us, set in the towns He chose for us, and working at the jobs He chose for us. It is by His grace alone, that we are not all homeless poor outcasts. It is His grace alone that has set our feet on a solid foundation, nothing we ourselves have done, so who are we to judge? Yes, we all make choices, but ultimately, God is The One in charge. 

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It is not our place to condemn. It is not our place to cast out. 

We are called to love, and look out for those who are alone in this world. 

We are to draw the broken in, and love them with a love that is not tainted by this world. 

This is pure religion that God accepts, this is what He requires. 

An Attitude of Gratitude

"At all times and for everything, give thanks 

in The name of our LORD Jesus Christ to God The Father." 

- Ephesians 5:20

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Complaining and grumbling is something that I catch myself doing from time to time. Sometimes it's an innocent whiney comment, and sometimes it's a more serious attitude problem. But either way, it's clear that I don't always live in a state of thankfulness and praise as this verse tells us to. 

We know that we are each born with a sinful nature, and so complaining is natural at birth, as demonstrated in an infants screaming cries for attention. As we get older, complaining becomes a natural part of our conversations, and simple: "how are you?"s turn into long lists of all the things going wrong in our lives. We live in a society of complainers, there's no denying that. 

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This verse tells us that at all times, and in all things, give thanks to God. We are called to live in an attitude of thankfulness, that encompasses everything we do, say, and live. 

So the question is, how do we live in real life: lack of sleep, unending bills to pay, drama in our relationships, fears for our children, work stress, struggles of all sorts, and live in an attitude of thankfulness?

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I think, first, it's important for us to understand why God gives us this instruction. And to see this, we need to go back to the beginning of Chapter 5, where Paul writes to the church in Ephesus to strive to follow the example of God. 

Paul is writing this chapter in order to show us how we ought to live, instructing us not to be filled with alcohol and the ways of this world, but instead to be filled with The Holy Spirit, living in peace with one another, praising God, and living in thankfulness always. We are told to live this way because "we once were in darkness, but are now in the light of The LORD" (vs. 8) We have been changed, God has changed us, and we ought to live as changed people. 

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It's in understanding how God was merciful to us, pulling us out of darkness, that our heart of thankfulness is able to begin. We need to come face to face with our Savior God, and see how good He has been to us, and how just the very breath we breathe should require our thankfulness. 

Stop and think: We should have been left in that darkness, but Christ made us alive!

Is there anything more that needs to happen in order for us to be thankful?

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Forgive us, God. 

When we grumble, when we complain.

When we forget how amazing You are, and how richly You have blessed us. 

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In light of Christ's sacrifice for us, and the everlasting love of our Father God, we are able to live in an attitude of thankfulness by sifting all of the junk in our lives through this filter of truth. 

We may have trouble in this life, we may have hardships, and we may have pain, but Christ has pulled us out of our darkness, and so all things have been made new and beautiful and purposed. 

We know our God is good, and even in our trials, there is purpose, and He will reveal those purposes when we thank Him for the pain, when we humbly lay it down at His feet, and live in an attitude of praise, no matter what may come. 

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We are able to live our lives with an attitude of thankfulness, even on the most trying of days, knowing how good God has been, and how His goodness cancels out even the worst of pain felt here on earth. 

We are able to give thanks, at all times, and in all things, because of Christ's love for us, because of the goodness He's shown us. 

Little Flock

" Do not be afraid, little flock, 

for your Father has seen fit to give you the Kingdom." 

- Luke 12:32 

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I have quite a few favorite verses in scripture, and this verse has been personal and unique for me for a long time now. I've talked before, about my tendency to worry, to imagine things up in my mind, to become anxious, and so this became a verse that I repeat to myself, in order to squelch that destructive habit. 

I love this verse for another reason too: because it's another one of those "imagery" verses for me, where I can just picture God as my Shepherd, gently caring for me, holding me close, His little sheep. I see the heart of God here in this verse, and it's always been comforting for me to picture God as my loving care-giver. I see here my gentle, loving, compassionate God…and sometimes, I think it's important for us to remember that though our God is Almighty, All-Powerful, strong and victorious…He is also kind, soft-handed, soft-speaking, patient, and caring. 

It's important for us to understand God in respect to all of His attributes, understanding all sides, and all the ways that make Him our amazing God. Understanding the "sides" of God is what allows Him to become personal to us, when we depend on Him for all the way He's ours, fully connecting with Him, and embracing Him as our personal God, in all aspects of life. 

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This verse was spoken to the Jews, and here Jesus calls them "little flock" because, literally, they are few in number. At this time, Israel is being taken over by Syrians, the number that is following Christ is "little." As modern day Christians, we know that this is still the same today. We Christ-followers are few, but though we may be small in number, our God's strength is not dependent on numbers. Our God is still The God is Israel, and is still in charge, even when the majority of humanity ignores Him. 

Jesus is telling the Jews here, though you may be small in number, do not be afraid, because "I have seen fit to give you the kingdom." This is a promise being given to the Jews, and later to us as well, that the glory of Heaven is waiting for us, and that is where our hope is to lie. 

Jesus is saying to His people, no matter what happens here, no matter who looks to be in charge, no matter what persecution you face, keep sight of the Kingdom, and know that Glory is waiting for you, and nothing, and no one, can take that away from you.  

Do you feel encouraged? 

Do you feel strengthened to go fight? 

Is anyone out there giving God an "Amen!"? 

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This was a message that the Jews of Jesus' age needed to hear, but it's a message for us today as well.

In today's world, we have a lot of worries that knock on our door: disease, financial hardship, wars, failing relationships, work stress, and a general "weight" of a world that is broken resting on our shoulders. 

This passage is necessary for us today, because in light of this, we first need assurance of Who our Good God is, we need to be reminded of His gentle, loving care. Second, we need this passage to encourage us. Because though the followers may be little, and though we may find ourselves battling daily against a world in rebellion to God, the promise for us is that God is still in control, and is still going to have victory, and we will too. Thirdly, the promise for us today is that through it all, Heaven is waiting for us, and nothing on earth can take away the peace of knowing that. 

Our God is a loving Shepherd.
Our God is still victorious, though His followers may be few.
And after we're done with this current battle, Heaven waits. 

That's the hope for us today as we read this scripture. 

Take heart, little flock, your Father has seen fit to give you the Kingdom.