Treasure

Today is the first day of a Love God Greatly (formerly Good Morning Girls) Bible study on Esther.

I didn't know this when I opened an email entitled 'Where is Your Treasure?' from Wisdom For Wives. Odd, especially when I don't read the blog very much.

The writer is talking about money:

"I have heard more than one pastor say that you can tell a person’s priorities by looking at his or her checkbook. This seems to be supported by Scripture.

~~But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21-22, NASB)~~

Maybe that’s why it can be so difficult to discuss finances with our spouses. Maybe these conversations reveal the true conditions of our hearts, and who wants to talk about the true condition of our hearts?? It’s quite possible that when there are unresolved heart issues, money arguments aren’t really about money. One spouse wants to discuss a budget, the other one fears being controlled. Four little words like, “We’re short this month,” can really mean:
You don’t make enough.
You spend too much.
You shouldn’t have taken (or quit) that job.
It’s because you wanted to buy this house that we can’t afford.

Even if the speaker is not (knowingly) holding a secret grudge, the hearer could be filtering the words through insecurities about his/her earning potential, or lingering regret or shame over a financial mistake for which the family is still paying. Rather than churn up all these issues, it is easier (in the short-term) to avoid talking about money, or to just ignore it altogether.

Money or wealth says so much about us, whether we lack money or have more than enough for our needs. This opens up so many thoughts about our 'treasure'. Oh, way beyond money. 'Treasure' is self-esteem, pride, perfectionism, striving to show the world how rich/good/competent/beautiful/clever we are...money can, we think, show others all of these things.

For Ahaseurus, king of Persia in Esther's time, his treasure was his wealth. Yesterday, in church, we were reminded of the danger of pride in possessions when we looked at Hezekiah, king of Judah, who was also proud of his wealth, and so, in 2 Chronicles Chapter 32, we are told how God 'left him'. 

But we 'leave God' so easily when we become absorbed by any treasure which is not God. When we put possessions or position or power or personal gain in the centre of our hearts, in God's place, we leave Him out of our lives. 

And so Matthew 6:19 - 21 reminds us: "Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasure is."

For both Ahaseurus and Hezekiah, wealth made a statement about who they were. Let us remember who WE are: children of God and co-heirs with Christ.

And if we are co-heirs, then we have all the wealth in the world. Now, there's a thought.

Whitespace. Stillness. Listening.

This post is part of the  “Finding Spiritual Whitespace Blog Tour” which I am a part of, along with a group of soulful, journeying kindreds. Bonnie has sent me a copy of her book to review. To learn more and join us, CLICK HERE!  

For reasons that I don't wish to explain in detail,  I find myself tripping over/falling into space and silence and stillness wherever I turn.

Bonnie Gray's 'Finding Spiritual Whitespace' has been the greatest place to start, but I have been 'encouraged' by emotional meltdown and comments in sermons about being overwhelmed and numb and... oh, all the things Bonnie explains in her book. The knowledge that it is only with Jesus that deep deep hidden wounds are healed into wholeness.

This search for relationship with and the presence of God in my life meets me at every turn.

Today it was through Lisa Burgess as she talks about:  "...it’s his presence we crave, even when we don’t know it. And it’s in his presence we’re most loved, even though we can’t see him.

“Just the privilege of fellowship with God is infinitely more than any thing that God could give. When he gives himself he is giving more than anything else in the universe.”- Frank Laubach

But how can we tap into that fellowship with God, especially in the everyday moments?

It’s a concept that’s intrigued me for years. I’m not alone in this quest. Not now. Not ever. Whether straight from scripture, from a monk in the 1600s, from a missionary in 1930, or from a friend in 2014, there’s much to learn about being more mindful of God in the now, of intentionally grasping God’s hand in this moment, in this thing.

I find motivation every few years when I reread Brother Lawrence’s The Practice of the Presence of God. And now I’m finding it also in finally reading Frank Laubach’s Letters by a Modern Mystic....

...Enjoying God’s presence is knowing that in this hour, this situation, this relationship, we are never alone.

“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”
Psalm 139:9-10 "

I love Beverley's comment on Lisa's post: Occasionally when i think that God has forgotten me and is no longer listening to my anguished prayers, he speaks! He speaks through the mouths and actions of others, the gentle breeze to cool the heat of the day, the smell of a wild rose, almost forgotten. When we feel forgotten all we have to do is wait and God will always arrive.

I have sat with those who are passing from this life to the next and the one thing they all want is one more…touch, hug, kiss, minute, moment…morning. So many people that i have nursed in these moments have waited for the morning to arrive before they have found the courage to leave.

And so, as I study Sally Clarkson and Angela Peritt's book You Are Loved with Good Morning Girls, I am learning that I AM loved by Jesus. That prayer and Bible study and good works are all well and good, but that it is in his presence that I am fulfilled.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39

And so I look for Him in everyday life and to Him in the quiet and listen, listen for His voice in the silence and the stillness of my heart.

PS: another form of stillness is going for a walk: notes on seeking quiet every day as a way of refreshing the brain. 

Finding spiritual whitespace

It is a long time since I wrote here. A time of business and absorption in all manner of things... good things, God things but not time with God.

So it's not a coincidence that Bonnie Gray's book has come out as I embark on a new Good Morning Girls study: You Are Loved.

I needed to set aside the time to know this:

"Christ went to great lengths to demonstrate His love for us….he died on a cross.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”- Romans 5:8

Christ’s death is proof of His unconquerable love for us. He went to such great lengths to demonstrate His love so that we will be secure in knowing we are loved by Him.

“A person who feels loved, lives with relief that they do not have to perform. They live with joy to know they are acceptable as they are. They live with hope because they are not alone.”- Sally Clarkson, You Are Loved

You are not alone.

You are loved."

We can know this in the quiet, in the rest, in the whitespace times...what does 'whitespace' mean? Ask read Bonnie!

Intentionally focused...on ministry, hospitality and PUTTING OTHERS FIRST

Peter says (The Message, 1 Peter 4:1 - 2) "Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings* as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want."
*sufferings: aka my struggles, difficulties, little problems, inconveniences...

So: "take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit..." (vv 7 - 11)

Baroness Cox wrote this week: "While we might like to think that generosity is largely about what gets given from our own hands, the truth is different. Generous people understand that giving is inseparably linked to receiving, that we can only begin to be used by God to meet another’s need because we have begun to allow Him to meet our own."

Romans 12:3 puts it like this: "it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him."

Proverbs 31 extols the virtues of the Good Woman.

"When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly.
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive.
Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise:"

Hmm.  I ALWAYS feel incompetent and all the other in- and un- words which tell me that I don't measure up, can never measure up to this Impossibly Perfect Woman.

BUT.

I CAN do what I can with what I have. I might never, will not ever, achieve her perfection, but I can aspire to be more like her. Also, I am comforted when I think that, perhaps, this is also a picture of the church. Because, together, we CAN achieve all this and more.

"So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t." (Romans 12:4 - 6)

Good Morning girls posted: We aren’t aiming for perfection here but rather a heart of serving and loving those who enter our homes. I’m sure it’s not an accident that hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word meaning healing. When we open our homes and hearts to those who are hurting, God uses our act of service to begin healing hurting souls.

Who can you open your home to today? What about the single mom down the street who is needing adult conversations and for someone to look her in the eyes and ask, “How are you really doing?”, or what about the widow whose husband recently passed away from your church? Maybe it’s the co-worker who needs to hear that they matter to God...

You see I think as Christians we have bought into this big lie that satan is selling us. (and yes, I have purposely typed a lowercase “s”) We think God only wants us to do BIG things for Him. That only the BIG things count. Big things like becoming missionaries and moving overseas, adopting 100 children, selling all our belongings or going into full time Christian ministry. You know, the BIG things.

But what if He’s not telling many of us to do those things? What if that isn’t His plan for many of our lives? What if His plan is even better than that?

What if His plan is actually to multiply our reach by each of us individually becoming intentional and purposefully, using the homes He has already blessed us with to reach those people He has sent us… by opening our doors and hearts to them?

What if we are just called to help those who are lonely feel welcomed by offering a simple meal and an open seat at a well-worn kitchen table?

God is amazing like that, you know. When we reach out to bless others, to open our doors and place an extra plate at the table, many times we end up being the one who is blessed.

So what if? What if we dream together and think about the possibilities of change God can do in our homes as we embrace our call to be hospitable? What if we push aside the temptations of perfection, the unrealistic expectations and instead offer real homes, simple meals and loving hearts? How can God move through these simple acts of obedience?

And so: "Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality."

I've heard it said that hospitality is not about homes and hearty dining, food and feasting - though it can be. No, hospitality is about inviting others into your heart and blessing them with what you have. It is about adaptable attitudes, selfless serving and generous giving.

Is that really so hard to do? Take the first step - TODAY.

Intentionally focused - on children

When I read about bringing children up biblically now, I mostly feel overwhelmed with guilt; the shouldhaves/oughtas/ifonlyI'dknown thoughts... even though my children have turned out to be wonderful, godly young people who live sold-out lives for Jesus.

But Moses said: This is the commandment, the rules and regulations, that God, your God, commanded me to teach you to live out in the land you’re about to cross into to possess. This is so that you’ll live in deep reverence before God lifelong, observing all his rules and regulations that I’m commanding you, you and your children and your grandchildren, living good long lives.

Listen obediently, Israel. Do what you’re told so that you’ll have a good life, a life of abundance and bounty, just as God promised, in a land abounding in milk and honey.

Attention, Israel!

God, our God! God the one and only!

Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got!

Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder;

So we did. And so I try to do, with the children I teach and meet. We can be - and have - spiritual parents, learning from those who have gone before and passing on God's wisdom to those who come after:

Stories we heard from our fathers,
counsel we learned at our mother’s knee.
We’re not keeping this to ourselves,
we’re passing it along to the next generation—
God’s fame and fortune,
the marvelous things he has done...
Then commanded our parents
to teach it to their children
So the next generation would know,
and all the generations to come—
Know the truth and tell the stories
so their children can trust in God...

For children are God's best gift. (Psalm 127:3) Children teach us that "Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. What’s more, when (we) receive the childlike on (Jesus's) account, it’s the same as receiving (him).

“But if (we) give them a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, (we'll) soon wish (we) hadn’t. (We'd) be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around (our) neck. Doom to the world for giving these God-believing children a hard time! Hard times are inevitable, but (we) don’t have to make it worse—and it’s doomsday to (us) if (we) do.

We are to be like children: simply trusting God.

Now, as Lent approaches, I am encouraging our children to take part in 40Acts. To grow in generosity, with me, together.

Friendship

Friends. We all need them.Ecclesiastes has the idea of friendship right: two ARE better than one... 

It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.
Share the work, share the wealth.
And if one falls down, the other helps,
But if there’s no one to help, tough!
By yourself you’re unprotected.

With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round up a third?
A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 - 10. 12

How lovely, to have a friend looking out for you, working hard with you...

And Jesus says...he says, again and again...  that love gives and gives, even to the point of giving even life itself, embracing death for the One loved, the Friend...

Look at his words:

This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. John 15:10 - 14

Command. Such a strong word. It means to give an order : to tell someone to do something in a forceful and often official way; to have authority and control over a group of people, such as soldiers.

Loving one another is NOT OPTIONAL.

And so, when we think of friendship, this is how we do it:

Be even-tempered, content with second place,  quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Colossians 3:13 - 14

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.
.
Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:29. 31 -32

And how do we do this? A little verse slipped into the middle of the advice in Ephesians tells us:

Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted. Ephesians 4:30.
Just stay focused, then. Keep my eye on The Main Thing. Loving God, loving Jesus, loving His Spirit in me.

And what is love? When I love my family, my husband, my children, my friends, I find myself obsessed with their welfare, rejoicing over their gifts and talents, happy they are in my life.

So too I can be obsessed with the Spirit's 'welfare' in me, taking care not to hurt in any way; rejoicing over the many ways the Spirit works through a multitude of gifts and talents, happy to have the Spirit in me, in my life...Loving.

And so, as I consider how to better love my friends, I read:

Wounds from a friend can be trusted,but an enemy multiplies kisses. Proverbs 27:6
I can trust a friend, knowing that they have nothing but the best in mind for me.

Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight,
a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.
I can rejoice in the refreshment and recreation a friend gives me.

Don’t leave your friends or your parents’ friends
and run home to your family when things get rough;
Better a nearby friend than a distant family. Proverbs 27:9 - 10
I can rely on a friend to be there for me.

You use steel to sharpen steel,and one friend sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
I can be sure that a friend might spark against me at times in a clash like hard metal, but that this will be for my good.  A friend sharpens me up: makes me grow; spurs me on to become more fit for purpose.
Because a blunt knife is useless.

So when our friends annoy us, or unintentionally hurt us, how do we bear with them, build them up and keep on believing in them?
How deep is the friendship?
Is it worth fighting for?
What do we do?
1 Corinthians 15:33 says: Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” We need to be sure that our friend IS truly a friend. If not, can we let go of the friendship?

Jen at Good Morning Girls notes:
"Not all friendships are beneficial. There are some people who will drag us down, bring out the worst in us, and tempt us to sin. (1 Cor. 15:33)

We need to surround ourselves with people who will make us better Christians, encourage us in our marriages, cheer us on in our parenting, and will speak the truth when we are wrong. Who will love us through it all.

“He who walks with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Pro 13:20).

We will not only be influenced by the company we keep, we will be known by it. This makes it important to seek out friendships with people who will lead us to walk with and become more like Jesus. And let me give you some good news. It is not common interests that solidifies a friendship, but a common Savior. The bond we have with Christ trumps differing personalities, styles, passions, and hobbies so that we are able to have strong, deep friendships with other sisters in Christ.

Not only do we need to seek out godly friends, we need to learn how to become this kind of friend ourselves. This is something many of us neglect. We want good friends, but do we want to be a good friend? Jesus calls us to this. Of course a good friend will point other to Jesus, but here are a few things necessary to being a good friend that leads others back to the gospel.

Being a good friend will mean:

1. Giving up our own preferences
There is no room for selfishness in friendships. We need to be willing to give up our own preferences for the good of another person. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3, ESV) A good friend will seek to honor and bless those around them.

2. Speak truth kindly
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Pro 27:6)

One of the responsibilities of a friend is to reprove when it is needed. But doing this well requires grace and wisdom. It is not our job to become busybodies, but it is our job to gently and kindly correct if we see our friend walk in a way that is dangerous or in conflict with God’s word.

This means we must also be friends who are willing to hear and accept the reproof of a friend. This shows great spiritual maturity. While it may hurt our feelings we need to remember that truth spoken in love will be used by God to bear fruit in our lives.

“Let a righteous man strike me — it is a kindness; let him rebuke me — it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it!” (Psalm 141:5)

“Yes, rebuke a wise man, and he will love you” (Pro 9:8)

3. Be Wise
Bring a good friend demands wisdom. Without it it is easy to overlook sin and danger, or become overly critical. It’s not just reproving that we must care about, but how we reprove. Can we discern the needs of our friends? What will effectively encourage them in their Christian walk? All of this, and much more, requires wisdom.

It costs to be a good and godly friend. We see the ultimate friendship in Christ. He is wisdom personified. He spoke the truth, and is the truth. And his friendship toward us took him all the way to the grave, for our good. He did more than lay aside preferences, he laid down his life. “Greater love has no man than this: that a man lays down his life for his friend” (John 15:13). Are we willing to lay down our lives for the good of another?


But this cost is the very gold of life!
It is the only antidote for selfishness!
It is the way of Christlikeness!
JR. Miller"
Some more questions to think about from Good Morning Girls:
In this fast paced, technology-driven world, I wonder if the face-to-face, intentional “coming alongside” kind of friendships are becoming more and more of a lost art.

Are we replacing real-life relationships with online acquaintances? 

Are we hung up on the imperfections of others, or are we quick to encourage, forgive and love generously in our friendships? 

Even more, have we isolated ourselves to the point of hindering the gospel?

And some more questions, from an incourage post:

Do you have people in your life that help to give you an unobstructed view of yourself?
Do you have friends who challenge you, inspire you and broaden your view of eternal things?

Are you that kind of friend?

As I read of Eve's creation,
to be helper to her Adam
holding fast to him
to be as One together:
I know that
I too can be like her.

With the help of Jesus.

As I read of Eve's betrayal:
her pride and wilfulness, her
desire for wisdom, her
simple greed -
I know that
I too am her daughter.

Yet Jesus had saved me.

As I read of Paul's teaching
that a wife should defer
to her husband just as
the church defers
to the Christ
who loves us

I know I am helpless alone.

As I read of how I should
be respectful in my behaviour,
setting a good example
for younger women
so that others
may not disrespect the Word,

I want to do my best.

As I read of the Perfect Woman,
skilled I'm all matters of wifehood,
motherhood, skill
and business,
I am reminded
of my own inconsequence.

And so, I live only through Jesus.

Him alone.

The Mind

Some thoughts from Good Morning Girls study Intentionally Focused, week 3.

Romans 7:25 (Jesus) acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.

The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.

Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.

There is now no condemnation:

the Spirit who gives life has set me free.

Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Romans 12:1 – 2, The Message)

Offer your body as a living sacrifice

true and proper worship.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world

be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

So when ‘friends’ hurt me and reject me

and strangers ignore and insult me

enemies are vicious

and the world passes me by

and it hurts more and more

each time I experience

difficulty in, or breakdown of

a relationship.

Words and emotions struggle for healing

which seems such a long time in coming.

So I remember you, Jesus,

who suffered far worse

and I give you my pain and my suffering

rejoicing that You are the Potter.

From an ignorant, unformed lump of clay

you made me recognisable.

You made me into something

useful, then shapely, fit for purpose.

You let wet clay dry, hardening gently

yet there are still cracks.

You roughen up edges

so you can fill holes,

rubbing with sandpaper: first coarse,

then increasingly finer.

And I know that later comes searing heat:

not once, but twice, perhaps more,

before you pronounce me Finished.

So I thank you, Jesus,

who loves me too much to let me

stay unfinished.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is TRUE, whatever is NOBLE, whatever is RIGHT, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is ADMIRABLE—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—THINK ABOUT SUCH THINGS (Philippians 4:8)

And now a personal but most urgent matter; I write in the gentle but firm spirit of Christ. I hear that I’m being painted as cringing and wishy-washy when I’m with you, but harsh and demanding when at a safe distance writing letters. Please don’t force me to take a hard line when I’m present with you. Don’t think that I’ll hesitate a single minute to stand up to those who say I’m an unprincipled opportunist. Then they’ll have to eat their words.

The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:1-5, The Message)

Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.

Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. (Colossians 3:1 – 3, The Message)

Set my heart on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Set my mind on things above, not on earthly things.

For I have died, and my life is now hidden with Christ in God.

In the quiet...

Jesus got on his own.
"As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer." (Luke 5:16, The Message)
"While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed." Mark 1:35

He tells me who he is:

The GOOD shepherd, not the lazy one; the LIGHT to live by and see life clearly; the ROAD on which to walk on this journey; the BREAD, the most basic of foods which I need to satisfy my hunger. The VINE: organic, living, far-reaching, bursting with growth: living WATER, without which there IS no living.

I need him.
“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing."

And he reminds me:
"God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what."

And so I can say, as David does in Psalm 63:

"God—you’re my God!
I can’t get enough of you!
I’ve worked up such hunger and thirst for God,
traveling across dry and weary deserts.

So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
drinking in your strength and glory.
In your generous love I am really living at last!
My lips brim praises like fountains.
I bless you every time I take a breath;
My arms wave like banners of praise to you.

I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy;
I smack my lips. It’s time to shout praises!
If I’m sleepless at midnight,
I spend the hours in grateful reflection.
Because you’ve always stood up for me,
I’m free to run and play.
I hold on to you for dear life,
and you hold me steady as a post."

Catching up...on being intentionally focused

"Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep,
Climb out of your coffins;
Christ will show you the light!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!"  Ephesians 5:15 - 16, The Message.

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."

And so: "Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another" (verse 21)

Following Paul's example: "I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back".

My head lives intentionally; 

my heart wavers.

My mind reads blogs, considers Scripture;

my heart wallows.

My thoughts direct my speech;

my heart suffers.

My head encourages me;

my heart makes excuses.

Running the race

Good Morning Girls post today is all about running: I've adapted the thoughts:

1. It’s hard work- I’ll be honest, there were days I wanted to quit, but I’m so glad I didn’t.

2. I have to be intentional.  Running doesn’t just “happen”, nor does getting to know Jesus better.

3. It’s painful. The Word shows me parts of myself I didn't know I had and they ain't always pretty.

4. There are no short cuts- NONE. You have to put in the hard work.

5. It takes time. Time when, if I'm honest, I'd rather be reading a novel, or indulging in a hot bath, or... you get the laziness picture.

6. Having a goal to focus on is important. Perhaps a chapter to read, some verses to memorise, a bible study to attend or a morning set aside...

7. What I wear matters - I can’t run effectively wearing heavy clothes or carrying baggage…it just slows me down. I need to 'throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.'

8. Make sure I stay hydrated - with the Living Water. I can’t run my best race when my body is depleted.

9. It’s more fun to run with friends. We are made for community.

10. It’s important to have a training buddy - I know I would have quit if I didn’t have the accountability of my running buddy.

And so: Hebrews 12:1-3(NIV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Intentionally focused...Psalm 90

God, it seems you’ve been our home forever;
long before the mountains were born,
Long before you brought earth itself to birth,
from “once upon a time” to “kingdom come”—you are God.

So don’t return us to mud, saying,
“Back to where you came from!”
Patience! You’ve got all the time in the world—whether
a thousand years or a day, it’s all the same to you.
Are we no more to you than a wispy dream,
no more than a blade of grass
That springs up gloriously with the rising sun
and is cut down without a second thought?
Your anger is far and away too much for us;
we’re at the end of our rope.
You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed
since we were children is entered in your books.
All we can remember is that frown on your face.
Is that all we’re ever going to get?
We live for seventy years or so
(with luck we might make it to eighty),
And what do we have to show for it? Trouble.
Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard.
Who can make sense of such rage,
such anger against the very ones who fear you?

Oh! Teach us to live well!
Teach us to live wisely and well!

To live for the day and the moment

to weigh our words with kindness

to act as if we used up our last breath...

to live for You.

Living Intentionally - Good Morning Girls new study

Ephesians 5:1 - 14, The Message

 Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

Don’t allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into sexual promiscuity, filthy practices, or bullying greed. Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, those who follow Jesus have better uses for language than that. Don’t talk dirty or silly. That kind of talk doesn’t fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect.

You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them—the usual variations on idolatry—will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God.

Don’t let yourselves get taken in by religious smooth talk. God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with him. Don’t even hang around people like that.

You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.

Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep,
Climb out of your coffins;
Christ will show you the light!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!

Being thankful...

Reading a blog post on Thankfulness by Angela at Good Morning Girls.

She says: "I know life can be hard. Times are tough for so many. Uncertainty and fears grip our hearts and still our joy. But even in the midst of hard times, I believe we can always find something good in our lives to be thankful for. Sometimes, many times, thankfulness is a choice. Sometimes it’s even a fight…but a fight worth having."

Colossians 3:15 says:...and be thankful. I've not found it easy to be thankful today. I have cried out in desperation to the Lord: not for myself, but for someone dear to me. I have felt despair, depressed, downhearted, desperate, disheartened. I prayed for courage, encouragement, wholeness, healing...for Jesus' presence.

Nothing changed.

 But I know my attitude can change. I know I should be thankful. And the only way to be thankful is to BE.THANKFUL. Not to mourn over what could be, should be, was to be, isn't to be... But to BE.THANKFUL.

I'm thankful for breath. and smiles.
time to listen a while
to praise and prayer,
have something to share.

I'm thankful for life and health
and such an amount of wealth
of friends and money
and people who love me.

I'm thankful for work,
not wanting to shirk,
and just enough strength
to meet the day's length.

 I.AM.THANKFUL

Stop press for a P.S.  By the end of the day things HAD changed. There WAS more hope. More purpose. More encouragement. More sense of God's leading and love and care. THANKFUL!

Let.It.Go

After a series of minor yet unfortunate events yesterday, and conversations around fear, and forgiveness, and trust, and betrayal, and needs and wants...so far, in the first few minutes of today, I have received:
 and...
"sometimes God asks me to do something that seems just as impossible. That happens when He leads me into the harder parts of my faith.That looks different for all of us, but for me it was to forgive those who had hurt me in my past. God was nudging me to soar, but in order to do that I had to let go and trust that He knew what was ahead)." (Suzie Eller, writing for Proverbs 31 Ministries.

On Saturday I will be speaking about forgiveness. And forgiving myself. Suzie again: she talks about how it 
is not our job to forgive ourselves:
"Yes, we confess that sin.
Yes, we make peace with others, as far as it is possible.
But accepting His forgiveness allows you to live fully in today. Your sin is reframed through His grace, and you are free to discover what God has for you today.
Print this out (click for printable) and place it on your bathroom mirror, or in your Bible, or on the refrigerator.
Read it out loud daily until it feels like truth inside of your heart.
When you look in the mirror, say these words: I am forgiven.
Let that forgiveness propel you discover what it means to live free and filled with Him."

And yet...

The comments on Suzie's blog about forgiving ourselves are really helpful:

Kristen says: "I had an issue 8 months ago where I was hurt very badly by someone. I was so angry and resentful that I could not get it out of my mind. I even dreamed about it for months. I couldn’t focus on projects that I wanted to complete, which was odd for me. It was like I was consumed. I worked with a life coach who helped me to realize that I was in spiritual warfare and this unforgiveness had become a stronghold. She advised me to pray for the person that I needed to forgive whenever I had the negative thoughts. I was amazed that it actually worked! I truly feel set free. God is amazing! One thing that Suzie says in her book is that Christ sets us free from the bondage of our sin AND the sin of others. The person who offended me may never apologize, but God has set me free from her sin."

This is really helpful. Remembering – and finding the strength – to pray for the person who has hurt us is so hard and liberating and freeing all at once. We are indeed in a battle.

Mandy Young says:
 "God will only give you what you can handle,
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,
When you start to doubt that’s when God gives you more (faith) to prove that you can get through it."

'Anything' begins...

Starting the Good Morning Girls summer study with a selection of Bible verses each week and chapters of Jennie Allen's book 'Anything'.
Today was John 8:1 - 11 - the woman caught in adultery.  And as I read these familiar verses, I wonder... why did Jesus write in the dirt?  Why did he use his finger? What was he trying to do? Buying time? Ignoring them, hoping they'd go away?
And don't you marvel at his grace and forgiveness and lack of condemnation for this woman who had nearly lost her life.  I wonder...what happened to her next? Where did she go? Back to a life of condemnation by others, or did she become a changed person?  If Jesus told her to 'sin no more' then perhaps there was no choice about it - his love compelled her to obey.  I wonder...

After Easter...

I'm in the middle of a study of Luke, with Good Morning Girls.  I'm finding it quite hard to 'go back in time' after the trauma and joys of Easter - but it's interesting rereading what Jesus was saying, too.


The challenge this week has been to show Jesus' love in action. I've been part of 40acts during Lent - wonderful inspiration for 'doing Lent generously' - but of course I am sure we all try to do this anyway.

Following Jesus has to be about giving up of self, putting others first: loving my neighbour. The parable in Luke 10 of The Good Samaritan. Going out of our way to love others.

I am praying for a prompt to do something 'unusual' - something I wouldn't normally think of or do. As Acts40 says: "There are opportunities to be generous all day long, if you keep your eyes open.... But sometimes when opportunity knocks, you’re just not prepared."

They talk about creating a 'Generosity kit' - a bag of useful items you could give away.   But my 'generosity kit' has to start with a generosity attitude - all too often I don't notice an opportunity until it is, quite simply, too late.  
And, to be brutally honest, I find it hard to do even the things which are right under my nose: loving those people who are part of the fabric of my life, being generous towards them.  
Having a more easy-going attitude: forgiving others easily, overlooking irritations and failings, being considerate: especially to my husband and colleagues, those nearest to me.
Responding with kindness, not anger - even if it is 'justifiable anger'. I need to remember there are always three sides to an argument: mine, theirs, and the way God sees it.  
Even when I DO notice I could do something to help someone else - whether usual or unusual - I find myself making excuses:
It's too much trouble.
I don't have time.
I'll have to go out of my way.
I can't be bothered.
They don't really need my help.
What will they think?
I shouldn't butt in on other people's business...  

So there I am, praying for extra generosity when I am not even able to do the basics.

And feeling guilty for it.

This week, I had the privilege of spending a couple of hours with Renee.
Renee is my closest righthereinreallife friend.
She befriended me when I arrived to live on this island 9 years ago.
She asked my family - before she had even met us - to lunch in her beautiful home.
She left a basket of a prepared meal and home baked treats
I can tell her anything and everything that is on my heart - she has heard as many confessions of my failures and shortcomings, perhaps more, even, than my husband.
We have shared more gospel stories - the joys and struggles of following in Jesus' foosteps - than I can remember.
She is warm chocolate sauce, hot fudge, freshly made lemonade, spiced wine, green curry.
Our friendship has been characterized by smiles and giggles - often naughty.
She is thirty years older than I am - but that has never made any difference.

Until now.
Renee has now become very elderly and frail, to the extent that, after several falls and needing 24 hour care, she now lives in a residential home. I still chat, but she doesn't respond in quite the same way any more.
Her memory is flaky.
I am wary about tiring her out with my ramblings.
Let alone that she now uses a wheelchair full time, her body causes her more distress than I am aware of.

This has, I am embarrassed to admit, been something of a barrier to my visits (apart from the logistical ones of a busy working life).
With memories of my mother's difficult personality and increasing (but undiagnosed) dementia in the last decade of her life, I am afraid that our conversation will become difficult.
I am afraid of the distress I will feel when she cannot follow or contribute to a discussion.
I am afraid that I will not be able to ask her questions about her family - because she won't remember what they are doing.
I am afraid I will not be able to cope with her physical needs.

I am unwilling to be generous.

This post started off as a reflection on MY generosity and what I could do.

Ugh. I am grateful that God has reminded me about the loving generosity of a dear dear friend.
I am grateful that this week, while enjoying the break from school, I have gone over to see Renee. I took her out to her favourite beach. We sat inside the car, in bright sunshine but safe from the cold blustery winds, drinking tea and gazing at the waves breaking on the rocks. And we talked. The time went all too quickly, but I still carry the sweet memories of being blessed by her presence.

And I did do something else out of my comfort zone. I invited a family I don't know very well to tea, in celebration of the children's recent exam success - achieving scholarships to secondary school. It was good. It was fun. It felt, at times, awkward. But I'm glad I did it.

So, how did I do it? How did I stir myself out of selfishness?

It wasn't easy. Partly, it was sheer determination. I KNEW I needed to do these things. I made myself pick up the phone, send the text. I took myself by the scruff of the neck and hauled my unwilling body out of the door.
But I couldn't do it just in my own strength.
The key, of course, is Jesus: When I truly do keep my perspective on him, my selfishness decreases somewhat and I "do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above myself, not looking to my own interests but ...to the interests of the others." (Philippians 2:2-4, NIV)

I can do this because I begin to "Think of myself the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion." (Philippians 2:5 - 8 The Message) Or, more briefly, in Hebrews 12:1-3: "let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."


What next, Lord?

If you want to follow ME....Luke 9:23

Luke 9: 23-26: part of Living and Leading Like Jesus - Good Morning Girls study.
"Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I’m leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when he arrives in all his splendor in company with the Father and the holy angels." (The Message)

I've been thinking a great deal about sacrifice recently. The version of verse 23 which I learnt in song all those years ago says: "If you want to follow me, you must DENY yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow me." I know that every time I am faced with a sacrifice, I dont face up to it. I hear myself saying, "No, I don't want to." Or just "No, I...." That little word with huge consequences in the middle of self-Indulgent, selfIsh, self....

So as we approach Easter - the joy and confusion of Maundy Thursday, the agony and sorrow of Good Friday, the hopelessness of Holy Saturday and the breathtaking elation of Easter Sunday - which bit of 'I' do we need to lose? Maybe this week is a good time to review the give and take of forgiveness, and how 'I' gets in the way; or the Inertia and self-gratIfIcatIon of a 'too busy life'; or....

A good week to review how 'I' gets in the way of following Him. With a small i in the middle of His Kingdom.

Bible study - trialling a different method...

Luke 9:10 – 20 GMG Tuesday 26^th March 2013

Verses	Application
10-11 The apostles returned and reported on what they had done. Jesus took them away, off by themselves, near the town called Bethsaida. But the crowds got wind of it and followed. Jesus graciously welcomed them and talked to them about the kingdom of God. Those who needed healing, he healed.	When we tell Jesus how we have obeyed him and what happens as a result, he takes us away by ourselves for rest and regrouping. But we have to be prepared to share his love and attention with others who need him.
Bread and Fish for Five Thousand	Feeding many others with the nourishment they need
12 As the day declined, the Twelve said, "Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the farms or villages around here and get a room for the night and a bite to eat. We're out in the middle of nowhere."	We might have good ideas for what we think God should do, but...
13-14 "You feed them," Jesus said.	...Jesus thinks otherwise. It is up to us...
They said, "We couldn't scrape up more than five loaves of bread and a couple of fish—unless, of course, you want us to go to town ourselves and buy food for everybody." (There were more than five thousand people in the crowd.)	...to use the little we have or can get hold of. Our dreams are too small for what God is going to do.
14-17 But he went ahead and directed his disciples, "Sit them down in groups of about fifty." They did what he said, and soon had everyone seated. He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread and fish to the disciples to hand out to the crowd. After the people had all eaten their fill, twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered up.	Yet when we listen to Jesus and do what he tells us, he uses the little we give him and makes it huge, more than enough for everyone's needs. What happened to the leftovers? Was it used to feed the animals? But what animals, apart from pigs, use human food?
Don't Run from Suffering
18 One time when Jesus was off praying by himself, his disciples nearby, he asked them, "What are the crowds saying about me, about who I am?"	Do I know what others think about Jesus? Have I discussed their ideas with them so I understand where they are coming from?
19 They said, "John the Baptizer. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets from long ago has come back."	So if I know what others say, I can be ready for Jesus' question when he asks me:
20-21 He then asked, "And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?"	Do I have an answer?
Peter answered, "The Messiah of God."	...do I know that Jesus is the Saviour, the King, just as Peter did. Am I ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN?

 

Poor in spirit...Luke

Going through the study Living Like Jesus, Luke 1 - 8, Good Morning Girls.
Arrived in Chapter 6.
Here is the latest blog from Good Morning Girls Friday 22nd February:

In 1660 Thomas Watson wrote an exposition on the Beatitudes. It is so good that I am going to be drawing from it in this post. You can read the whole thing here if you want.


After healing a number of people, Jesus goes up on a mountain and begins to preach his famous “Sermon on the Mount.” He starts with the beatitudes which are a collection of truths for those who want to truly be blessed or “happy”. I want to focus on the very first one because from it spring the rest.

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Luke 6:20

What does he mean by “poor?” Is he referring to those who are without material possessions or who have a hard time paying their bills? There certainly is truth in the fact that those who belong to Jesus are the richest in the world, despite any current financial hardships, for they will one day lack for nothing. But the “poor” Jesus addresses here are the “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5). It “signifies those who are brought to the sense of their sins, and seeing no goodness in themselves, despair in themselves and sue wholly to the mercy of God in Christ.” (Thomas Watson) Someone who is poor in spirit has a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). They are humbled by their sin and know that they approach the living God with absolutely nothing to offer but their own filth and unrighteousness.

The reason we must all be “poor in spirit” is because:

1. “Until we are poor in spirit—we are not capable of receiving grace” (Watson)

Someone who is full of himself is not able to be filled with Christ. “God first empties a man of himself, before he pours in the precious wine of his grace.” (Thomas Watson)

2. “Until we are poor in spirit—Christ is never precious” (Watson)

The person who see the dirt that covers him will view the garment of Christ’s righteousness as desirable (Zech. 3:4). But if you think your works are good and beautiful on their own then what Christ offers will seem neither necessary or precious.

3. “Until we are poor in spirit—we cannot go to heaven” (Watson)

The kingdom of God belongs to those who are poor in spirit. The Kingdom is for those who have nothing, know it, and receive what is promised by faith alone.

“Nothing in my hand I bring,
 simply to the cross I cling”

I don’t know about you, but I have a major problem here. I can never be poor in spirit on my own. I am by nature proud, self reliant, forgetful, stubborn and rebellious. Even as one who has been saved through the death of Christ I easily revert back to my old nasty habits or self righteousness. But just as my salvation was wholly of God so is everything else pertaining to my spiritual life. Where I fail, Christ succeeds for me. Where I am proud, Christ is humble. And the best part of all is that when I run in the wrong direction Christ pursues me and lovingly brings me back.

As Francis Thompson wrote, Jesus, “The Hound of Heaven” pursues those who are his with an “unhurrying chase, unperturbed pace, deliberate speed, and majestic urgency”.

We must pray that God would make us aware of where we have filled our lives with “self” instead of Christ. We must pray that God would make us poor in Spirit and fill us “with the graces of his Spirit.” He is faithful, he will hear our prayers. He will change our hearts."

Oh yes.

I was further convicted of this when listening to Louie Giglio talk about Matthew 6:5-9 about prayer and the holiness of God :
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
No, doing things publicly, out of pride, out of a desire to show off, a craving to be 'rich in spirit' - our reward - MY reward - will not be a heavenly one. Just an earthly one, which will pass away and is of no eternal value.

A prayer: Lord, help me to keep my eyes fixed on the things that matter and my heart humbled towards You and others. Let humility be my watchword.