The Same Glory as Christ

I attended the Ted Dekker “Outlaw” tour event on Friday night. He said something that I hadn’t given much thought to:

In John 17:22, Jesus says “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one…”

Wow!  We have the same glory as Jesus? God has made us that special?  That floored me. 

Amazing love.  Amazing grace.

I'm Back!

I figured September would be a good time to get back in the swing of things. For the first time in YEARS I took a few months off. I joked that God gave me a sabbatical, but indeed He did! He gave me June and July and most of August off to write a novel! I am so excited about it!

But literally as soon as I typed "The End" I started getting calls to speak and do book signings. God has clearly taken me off my sabbatical and put me back to work! So it's gonna be a busy fall!

Helping Others is my theme for this month. Mostly, I'm focusing on my family. I've been so busy in the past doing this and that for volunteer work that I've once again let my own house slip. So I'm trying to get the kids more organized and take some of the work load off of my husband.

I've also experienced the help of others helping ME. I have a lot more to say about that, so will post that later, but sometimes we need to receive help instead of give it.

I'll be away from my desk for a few days....my sister-in-law passed away yesterday morning. She died with a smile on her face so we know she's with Jesus now. I have more to say on that too, when I've got the energy. Right now it's time to grieve and help where I can.

Blessings to you all.

God Love

            While I was washing dinner dishes one night, my youngest grabbed a paper plate and pen and ran upstairs. When my husband Duane and I went in our room to go to bed, there was the plate, sitting on our pillows. In elementary school print, our son had written "Mom and Dad - I love you, Logan".  It was so sweet that I saved it.

            Nothing prompted Logan's note, and it wasn't a special day, but Logan is known for leaving little love notes around the house for us.  He also writes notes to God, and blows kisses to God at the end of his bedtime prayers.

            I look at Logan's joyous, unselfconscious expressions of love and think of God.  God loves us with agape love - an unconditional love.  No matter what we've done, or who we are, or where we've messed up, God is willing to take us back into His arms and remind us that we are His children.  After all, He loved us enough to die for us.  It's hard to love on a greater scale than that.

            I am blessed with a good husband who never forgets holidays and hugs me daily.  But no matter how much Duane loves me, there will always be a void in my life.  Love notes, love songs, and warm embraces still leave me wanting more.  There's a reason for that.

            We were created with what I call a "God-space."  It's an empty place in our souls that only God can fill.  God wants to be first in our lives.  He wants us to love Him with abandon, just like Logan loves his parents.  Only when we go to Him will we receive that deep, unfilled love that takes away loneliness, fear, emptiness and more.  He knows our innermost thoughts and our deepest needs.  Only God can love us like we really need to be loved.

            Over the past few years while I worked on my book A Kid At Heart:  Becoming a Child of Our Heavenly Father, I've explored what it means to let God love us on that level.  We can depend on Him, trust Him, and run to Him for comfort.  We can laugh with Him, share our secrets with Him, and know that no matter what, He will never quit loving us.

            He wants to be our Prince, the love of our life.  Let Him love you as only He can.

God Opens Doors

All at once all the prison doors flew open and everyone's chains came loose.  Acts 16:26b

I had the privilege to go to Legoland, CA this past weekend with five amazing kids who had made it to the North American Championships with their robot.  Because they had poured hours and hours into their project, the robot had been scoring 630 points in practice. When they got to CA and used their one practice session allowed to them, the robot's color sensor wasn't happy with the stage lighting, and our robot became erratic.  The kids went right into problem solving mode - Can we shield the sensors? Reprogram the robot? - and they worked hours on solutions. They came up with three plans, but were unable to test them until the competition. For each round (there were three), they used a different plan, and the robot responded in various ways, but their final score was only 435.   The winning robot got 605.

What amazed me about these kids is they didn't give up and instead of looking at this is a failure, they turned it into a learning opportunity. While disappointed, they are already working on how they can improve their robot for next year.

Sometimes when failure strikes, it's hard for us to move forward and see the other paths. I think what these kids showed in their problem solving can be used in daily life situations. Don't quit, and just because one door closes, doesn't mean another hasn't opened. There are always other answers. Look around - not down.

God's Wisdom

This says it all:

The Power of Prayer

Spiritual Warfare by Ron DiCianni | Christian Art - Christian Framed Prints | Tapestry Productions          

           As a praying parent, this is one of my favorite paintings.

         April’s Princess Project topic empowers us. God doesn't send us out alone to face the world and the Enemy. He not only backs us up but He equips us with His armor. Your prayers are important too – your prayers bring angels to defend and protect you. Notice the details in the painting - the battle raging outside the window.

         Remember whose side you are on this month, and who is on your side.

Valentine's Day Thoughts

  Most people equate Valentine's day with romance, but in fact St. Valentine was a priest who gave up his life for his belief, siding with Christian martyrs and finally being executed for his faith.  Not much is reliably known of him, but legend has it he healed his jailer's daughter of blindness and before his execution left her a note signed "From your Valentine".
    This week as I think of my Valentines, or the loves in my life, I want to remember to thank God for how richly I am blessed with them. I want to make sure they (friends, family) know how much I love them.
    And I want to remember St.Valentine, and all the other Christian martyrs past and present, who have died for their faith.

God's Love

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishent. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. - 1 John 4:18

I attended a Beth Moore Bible study class the other night and they were studying God's love.  Moore said that God's love is perfect and to be filled with God's love means that there isn't room in us for low self-esteem or fear.  Perfect love casts out fear.  But how do we fill up on God's love?  Is it a matter of will?  Or of sin? Or of letting go?  Perhaps it's simply a matter of knowing.  Knowing who we are in Christ and gleaning our security from that sacred place of grace.

Innate Wisdom

A bird has built a nest in our bathroom fan.   I hear momma bird go out and then come back in.  She gives a screech (which I think sounds a bit frightening) but then I hear little bird voices peeping excitedly, I assume for food.  This very noisy process continues for about 10 minutes, several times a day.

It occurs to me that God is generous with wisdom.  The bird knows how to take care of its babies.  The peonies on my front porch know when to open – and it’s interesting to watch the black ants eat away the green covering so the pink flowers can burst forth. 

We, too, have a deep, innate type of wisdom.  My body tells me when I’m hungry, it heals me when I am cut, and when I’m cold (like I was in the pool on Sunday) tiny little bumps form on my arms and hairs stand on end in an  attempt to keep me warm.

Amazing.  God has equipped us well.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33

Wise Choices?

I think most of us struggle with our choices sometimes.  I know that for me, on my birthday last month, I looked at my life and wondered if I was where I should be.  I had dreamed of living on a horse farm, teaching writing at a university and writing novels.  My life hasn't led me there yet, and I'm halfway through.

            Have I made the right choices in my life?

            God, our Heavenly father, is the keeper of wisdom, and He gives it out to those who earnestly seek it. 

            If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  James 1:5.

            That's a pretty amazing gift!  And, princesses, one we should desire. 

            Solomon was the richest and wisest king in history.  Why?  Because God told him he'd give him anything he asked for.  Solomon asked for wisdom, and because of that, the rest of his life was blessed beyond measure.

            So whether you are struggling with major life choices, or just trying to check off your to-do list, take it before God first.  Ask Him what to do.  You may be surprised at how much more smoothly things turn out!

God Made You and He Don't Make Junk

            You are uniquely you.  God created you the way He wanted you to be, and had plans for you long before your parents ever gave a thought to having children.

            Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;  Jeremiah 1:5

            Isn’t that exciting?  God likes you the way you were born.  Eye color, hair color, talents, personality -  He designed you that way.  It’s up to us what we do with what He gave us.

            Remember, you are fully equipped to be the woman God wants you to be.

Gifts from Above

I need a new computer, and for months (okay, maybe years) have been wanting a laptop.  I'm a bit picky, so instead of purchasing a cheaper non-Apple version, I'm holding out for a Mac.  Probably why I haven't gotten one yet.  But my desktop computer (also a Mac) is a year 2000 and there are pink streaks across the screen, giving me the feeling that the monitor is going.  Also, it keeps telling me there are "errors" and shutting down.  Since I'm working on "Riches" I decided to pray me up a computer.  God knows I need one, right?  So I've been praying for my Apple laptop. 

Amazingly, God sent me a computer.  It's free.  It's a Mac.  But it's happens to be a 2003 desktop computer. Guess God didn't think I was ready for that laptop....

But hey, it works, so I am rejoicing!  Isn't it fun that one happened to come along when I needed one?  Thank you, Lord!

"Every good and perfect gift is from above..."  James 1:17

Wealth

A friend shared Psalms 45 with me - wonderful images of kings and princesses.  I especially liked that the princess's robe was trimmed in gold, since I am focusing on the wealth of God this month.  I know that God owns it all, and that we don't need to worry about finances.  We had hoped to go to Florida this spring and take the kids to Disney World, but in the past month our water softener broke, a wind blew parts of our roof off and we need a new one, and two days ago my husband got in a car accident.  Hubby is okay, but the car is not.  So there goes all our "fun" money.  And more.  We are wondering where we're going to get the money for the roof - I'm excited to see what God will bring our way.  I'm trying to keep my chin up, because I know it all works out in the end, to the glory of God.  Sometimes it's just hard to go through!