Courage

I have been neglecting my blog - even the Theme Song Thursday posts are left behind; and they were my "consolation."

While taking a walk in the brisk Indiana "spring" air this pre-dawn morning, I was pondering about things He is showing and teaching me. Certainly He is showing me how He answers my prayers, something of which it seems I need continual reminding.

Additionally He has been teaching me about being vulnerable, about showing up authentically, about the journey being the point. And courage has been a theme throughout. I am thankful that He is showing me the ways I have been vulnerable, shown up as me and been courageous in the process. Being of the ilk to be harder on myself than I am on others, I need to see myself through His eyes.

And then there are the people around me who are also being courageous. Being courageous has many possible outward appearances. Without hearing someone's heart, I cannot begin to judge whether or not that person is being courageous, and it really isn't my place to judge. But I can observe and notice when they are being courageous. The women I spent Tech Week with were all walking courageously.

I am uncertain if they realize it about themselves or about each other, but I saw it. As I had opportunity to connect with them and hear a piece of each one's heart, I began to see them a bit more clearly through the lens of God's mercy. The gold in each one shined through. As a leader, I struggle sometimes because I want to defend my team members, but often the information I have that would be used for the defense is not mine to speak.

Praying together and for the other person, asking how I can help and loving each one is the best I know to do in those situations. Because I see each one as courageous, I want each one to see the other one as courageous. The Cy activity of writing down the facts, then editing for just the facts seems like beneficial for processing. And then ask, "how can I help?"

Courage.


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What if we choose love?

What if we each individually took responsibility for our own choices?

 What if we each purposed to control myself, without regard for the circumstances or how others treat me?

 What if we lived with the understanding that every choice I make every day has good and or bad consequences which ripple from now into eternity?

 What if everday each one of us chooses to listen, to seek to understand, to love everyone and to respect & honor everyone?

 Overcome evil with good! Let's change our spheres for the good everyday. You have influence. Weild it with care.





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Merry Christmas Eve Theme Song Thursday

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Bread for Today

In the natural, I made a loaf of THM Sprouted Wheat Bread, something I have not taken the time to do for months.  The process was simple, yet fulfilling; the resulting loaf was delicious and nourishing -- truly a BLISS, which I need to pursue more regularly.

Supernatural bread for today started as a musing about how to love the broken in our world.  Jesus' wise instruction to love others as I love myself reminded me that self love is the beginning of pouring the Father's heart upon others. Every one of us is broken and traumatized to some degree and in need of a Physician.  Tenaciously pursuing wholeness and healing for myself truly must be a priority; our family's beloved first pediatrician continually exhorted me to take care of me/Mom, so that I could take care of our kiddos.  The flight attendants remind us to put our own oxygen mask on before we try to help someone else. Yes, current culture understands this concept.

Why is it so difficult for Christ followers?  One reason, I believe, is the stigma, the SHAME, that religious culture affixes to people "who don't have it altogether."  The enemy loves this lie and works with religious culture to perpetrate it far and wide.  The TRUTH is that we all are in need of the Physician -- that's why He came to save the WORLD.  Shine the light on SHAME, dare greatly and run after personal wholeness and healing.  You will be amazed at the good that will result.

When I mentioned "religious culture," I was not meaning the church, the Body of Christ.  Nope.  I was speaking of a mindset that is empowered supernaturally.  At itmes this culture/mindset does show up in our local churches, though. Sadly church people will sometimes treat other church people worse than a stray dog, despite the model we see in how Jesus loved His disciples and those who followed Him. (You might want to read up on how He dealt with the religious culture of His day chronicled in the stories of most of His interactions with the Scribes and Pharisees, too.) Christ also said to love each other as He loved us.  Unfortunately, the church is known as being the only army that shoots its own wounded.  This should not be!  Come alongside those in the Body of Christ who are pursuing wholeness and healing.  They are part of the group of people that you and I are meant to love as we love ourselves.

The other part of that group are those who are not part of His Body.  Guess what?  The same instructions apply in regard to them.  Love them as you love yourself.  Because it's the kindness of God that leads people to Him, we are to be the conduits of His Kindness.  Be famous for love, as Sherri Silk says.  See people the way He sees them -- created in His image and likeness.  Honor, respect and love everyone around you, brokenness and all.


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Theme Song Thursday

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Theme Song Thursday

A repeat, but deliciously worshipful nonetheless.

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Driving a Stake in the Ground

Edited 06.27.15

I am saddened, but not surprised at the Supreme Court's ruling in favor of same sex "marriage."

Rudderless, the majority justices continue to sail the USA toward rocky shores.

Perhaps I am painting a target on myself, but I feel compelled to post a statement of my faith and beliefs here today.

I do not hate anyone.  Because I follow Jesus Christ, because He loves and forgives me, and because His love compels me, I love everyone, though I do so imperfectly as an imperfect human being.

"Love your neighbor.  Do good to those who do evil against you.  Overcome evil with good."

Those some are my foundational motivations and guiding commands.

Below is a more formal belief statement, the wording of which I borrowed and tweaked from an Alliance Defense Fund pdf.

"I believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female, evidenced biologically at birth. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27.)  ‘Being man’ or ‘being woman’ is a reality which is good and willed by God: man and woman possess an inalienable dignity, which comes to them immediately from God their Creator. Man and woman are both with one and the same dignity ‘in the image of God.’

"I believe that the term 'marriage' has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen 2:18-25.) I believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4.) I believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

"I believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10.)

"I believe that God freely offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11.)

"I believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture or with how Jesus treated people while He walked the earth."

I understand that our government has approved and legalized relationships and actions that are in opposition to my beliefs.

I do not believe that those who have made these decisions hate me.

I am not your judge.  (Matt. 7:1, John 5: 26-27, John 12: 47-48.)

These beliefs guide my relationship with God and with man.  A desire of my heart is to grow in loving relationship with God and with all of humanity every day.

If you disagree with my beliefs, I respect you and love you anyway.  I think all of you are amazing creations of Father God who carry unique and needed gifts into our world.

Can we focus on the things we agree upon and work together to build a promising and bountiful future for us and for the generations to come?

Have mercy on us, oh God!

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Theme Song Thursday

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Did You Notice?

 This is ONLY for my regular readers and followers. . .ok, the rest of you can read this, also.  I was only teasing.  Who am I to discourage anyone from reading my little ol' blog?

  I chose a different blog template recently; did you notice?  I'd love your thoughts and feedback in regard to it.  I feel like I need change often, so my blog reflects that at times.


And today's random:

  I was grocery shopping this morning, using my re-usable shopping bag horde. The cashier who was waiting on me does NOT like the re-usable shopping bags.  I have been in her "line" before, and each time she comments offhandedly about how she does not like those bags.  Honestly I try to avoid her line because I know it pains her to wait on someone like me.  As far as that goes, I'd rather we both be enjoying the shopping experience as much as possible.  As I could not avoid being in her line (read that as not enough lines open), there I was.  She grudgingly greeted me, and I cheerily replied.  She began listlessly loading my frozen and cold items in one of my freezer bags; "great!" I silently cheered.  After she filled one of my "least of these" bags, I re-positioned my bag o' bags (whilst she was busy and NOT looking) with the other freezer bag on top and my best bags next; in her defense, the "least of these" was the next one in the pile.  I said nothing except cheerful thank-you's as we both endured the process -- me with a smile and her with lips in a grim line.  Then I heard her sadly mutter, "I don't pack these kinds of bags very well." My heart stirred with compassion for her -- silently I released blessings and peace over her.  And I am thankful that I was privileged to be in her line this morning.  She needed me and what I carry of the #Kingdom.  I needed her to stir my compassion and to give away what Jesus gave me.

  Someone once told me that I pick up on lots that is going on in a given situation, which seems to be true.  What I have realized is that I often misinterpret after the observation.  This morning I was reminded that even Paul did not always hear and discern correctly, (it's right there in The Book).  I need Holy Spirit and His gifts soooooo much!  Still a work in progress here:).

So, what do ya think about the new template?

What's your random from today?


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Merry Theme Song Thursday Christmas!!!

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Theme Song Thursday

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Theme Song Thursday

For the Cross
 

The life You gave

Your body was broken                 

Your love poured out     

You bled and You died for me

There on that cross 

You breathed Your last as you were crucified

You gave it all for me

Hallelujah, what a Savior

Hallelujah, what a friend

Hallelujah, King forever

We thank You for the cross

There in the ground

Sealed in the darkness

Lifeless laid

The frame of the Father’s son    

In agony

He watched His only Son be sacrificed

He gave it all for me

But on that day

What seemed as the darkest hour                    

A violent hope

Broke through and shook the ground     

And as You rose

The Light of all the world was magnified

And You rose in victory

Hallelujah, it is finished

Hallelujah, it is done

Hallelujah King forever

We thank you for the cross

And though our sins are scarlet

You have made us white as snow

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Than Tongue or Pen can ever Tell

God is rich in mercy and loves mankind with a great love.  It is His kindness that draws us to Him.  God made/provided the peace, the conflict resolution before the conflict so that every person can be His Son and share in the Heavenly inheritance.  Each person is God's workmanship, uniquely created to reflect God and created for good works.  Each person has gold hidden inside of them which is meant for their own good/benefit and for the benefit of others. 

Earnestly seek, find and encourage that gold in every person with whom you come into contact. 

What are you willing to fight for in that person? 

Who championed you?  How did that affect you? 

Who seemed to bring only correction to you?  How did that affect you? 

What are you going to do now?

I didn't know I needed to clean the fish before I caught them ~ John Wimber

"The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Oh, the love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.”

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