Son of God

Son of Man

Messiah

Alpha & Omega

First & Last

Savior

Lamb of God

Bread of Life

Light of the World

Shepherd

Door

KING of kings

Lord of lords

Wonderful

Counselor

Prince of Peace

Immanuel

Friend

Advocate

Atoning Sacrifice

Gate

King of the Jews

Word

Morning Star

Rabbi

Teacher

True Vine

Way

Truth

Life

Rock

Lion of Judah

Hope

Firstborn

Mediator

Cornerstone

Husband

Resurrection

Wisdom

Creator

Bridegroom

Lord

Protector

Redeemer

Advocate

Atoning Sacrifice

Faithful

Holy

Image of God

JESUS!

Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

Luke 9:20b

 

Who do you say He is? 

 

 

 

 

Things I lost because of a choice I made:

Lasting love

My music

Home filled with family

Friends

Swimming

Vacations

Happiness

Confidence

My Voice

32 years

A Called Ministry

Desires

Purpose

In other words, me and just about everything I enjoyed doing!

Things God gave to me during those "lost" years:

3 wonderful children

Grandchildren

Opportunities for ministry

Working w/animals

Travel

Gaither music

Protection

My needs

Many wants

In other words, blessings galore!

Things God has restored in my life:

Lasting love-His!

Vacations

My voice

Happiness

A ministry

 And so much more!

Things He's still working on:

Desires

Called ministry

Swimming with dolphins

And so many things I'm not even aware of yet!

I may not experience some of these things until:

I love to give gifts.
I enjoy giving gifts to people 
who aren't expecting a gift.
I enjoy giving secret gifts.
The more I give, the more I enjoy.


I have come to the realization 
that I am very richly blessed by God.
And out of that abundance,
I am called to give.

God gives to us so that we may give to others.
And He delights in a cheerful giver.
I don't believe this just means 
my tithe and offerings.
It means time, talents, a smile.

It also means "a little happy".
I read this in my Daily Guidepost 
devotional this morning.
These are small gifts that mean 
something to the recipient.
A gifts that brings a little happy 
to the one who receives it.
I love to give those.


God certainly gave the best gift of all.
How can we who are so blessed 
by Him because of that gift, not give?
And give cheerfully.
And give with love!

It's storming today.

It's hard to believe after all the rain we've gotten this spring, 

but we really do need it.

We've had several weeks of unusually hot days.

The green grass is turning brown and dying.

So the rain is a welcome relief.

The air smells fresh and clean.

The thunder is a comforting sound to someone like me 

who loves thunderstorms.

A good storm clears the air.

The sky is cloudy and dark.

It too is comforting to me.

Not sure why.

Maybe it's because the thunder, darkness, and rain 

reflect how I feel on some days.

 Like today.

I am feeling sad today.

Not sure why.

I feel like there's a storm on my horizon.

Not necessarily a bad storm.

Just a storm that will bring change to some part of my life.

I guess I've settled into a comfort zone.

I think God may be getting ready to shake thinks up a bit.

I'm not scared, just sad and pensive.

If God is preparing me for change,

I want to listen and be ready.

It may be a small change.

It may be a major change.

Whatever it is,

I'll cling to His promise that

He "knows the plans He has for me, 

plans to prosper and not to harm me, 

plans to give me hope and a future".

Jeremiah 29:11

So I will relish this storm inside my soul.

I will let the 

"rain, thunder, and darkness"

cleanse my life.

I will allow the sadness to envelop me for a time.

But then I will walk out into the Sonshine
and behold the rainbow of promise God has prepared for me.

And I will embrace joy!

Wonder

Obedience

Reverence

Singing

Holiness

Immanuel

Praise

 

"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. 

Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. 

That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: 

those who are simply and honestly themselves 

before him in their worship. 

God is sheer being itself—Spirit. 

Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, 

their spirits, their true selves, in adoration." 

John 4:22-24 MSG

 

Jesus!

Jesus!

Jesus!

What a wonderful Name!

When I'm sad and I whisper that Name,

 I'm comforted.

When I'm afraid and I breath that Name,

I'm encouraged.

When I'm weary and I sigh that Name,

I'm re-energized.

When I'm happy and I shout that Name,

I'm uplifted.

JESUS!

What a wonderful Name!

Wildflowers & Songs

"Spring flowers are in blossom all over."

Fragrant gifts God richly bestows.

Scent of lavender and clover

into the air freely flows.

Daisies and poppies, asters and sage,
primrose and hollyhock, zinnias and marigolds
sprinkle the landscape with color ablaze
lighting the horizon with a vision that glows.

"The whole world's a choir and singing!"
Choruses of praise fill the air.
Sounds of nature joyously ringing

spreading the Good News everywhere.

Crickets and toads, robins and geese,

water and rain, thunder and wind,

all raise the voices in sweet release

sounding their joy in a sweet melodic blend.

How do I join this offering of praise to my Savior?

How can my life be a sweet aroma that brings Him pleasure?

How can my life be a vision that brings Him favor?

How can my voice be a melody that He treasures ?

Simply live in and for Him each day of my life.

Rest in His loving arms that offer shelter and peace.

Cease from the world's striving and strife.

Humble myself so that He may increase.

A life well lived for Jesus each day

is all He asks from His child.

Wildflowers and songs His blessings display

in a life that is lived meek and mild.

"Lord,

May my life be 

a wildflower blooming

and chorus wafting

in praise and honor to You!"

Too many people today see God as the loving giving Being 

who never gets angry or disciplines His child.

I guess they have never read the scriptures 

that describe the God who is 

righteous, judging, and does discipline His child.

In fact, 

it seems to me that if you are not disciplined by God at some point, 

since we all sin, you are not His child.

Think about it.

Parents who truly love their child teach them right from wrong.

They do this by correcting their behavior.

Discipline.

God delights in seeing His child become 

the unique person he or she was created to be.

He accomplishes this in HIs perfect way.

Love, grace, mercy, joy, and, yes, discipline are just a few of the ways 

He touches the life of His child.

 

Look at your life.

If you never experience the loving discipline of God,

you need to reexamine your relationship with Him.

When you do experience discipline, 

and by that I don't mean guilt or condemnation,

but loving correction,

 be thankful and let it change you.

 

Jesus said,

"The people I love, 

I call to account—prod and correct and guide 

so that they'll live at their best. 

Up on your feet, then! 

About face! Run after God!"

Revelation 3:19

"Father,  

I am thank that You love me enough to discipline me.

Make me accepting of this.

I desire to allow Your convicting of my sins to change me 

as I become the person You  created me to be.

I love You!

In Jesus' Precious Name,

Amen."

"Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten 

by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!

—stolen by burglars. 

Stockpile treasure in heaven, 

where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. 

It's obvious, isn't it? 

The place where your treasure is, 

is the place you will most want to be, 

and end up being"

Matthew 6:19-21 MSG

 

 I've been thinking about what's important to me lately.

Just what do I treasure?

I treasure my family.

I treasure my freedom in so many ways!

I treasure my friends.

Most of all, I treasure my relationship with 

God the Father,

Jesus the Son,

and the Holy Spirit!

This hasn't always been so, I'm afraid.

Too many times in my life I've treasured things of this world.

I've treasured houses, furniture, cars, and clothes.

I've treasured what others thought about me.

I've treasured education.

I've treasured being "noticed" for the "right" reasons.

I've treasured being know as a "good" Christian.

There's nothing wrong with those things.

God has richly blessed me with many of them.

The problem is when they become my treasure,

My reason for doing what I do.

That's when they take first place in my heart.

That is called sin.

God has been working on my heart lately.

The more time I spend with Him,

the more I treasure Him.

The more I treasure Him,

the more I treasure our relationship.

This is how a child of The King should live.

I want to spend eternity with God.

Therefore, I chose to lay up my treasures in Heaven.

What about you?

With what gift or gifts have you been blessed by God?

Do you even know?

If you are His child, you have at least one gift and probably more.

If you ask, He will reveal and provide opportunities 

for you to develop & keep ablaze 

the gift you have in you.

"We have different gifts, 

according to the grace given to each of us. 

If your gift is prophesying, 

then prophesy in accordance with your faith;  

  if it is serving, then serve; 

if it is teaching, then teach;  

if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; 

if it is giving, then give generously; 

if it is to lead, do it diligently; 

if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."

Romans 12:6-8

In God's eyes, no gift is any more or less important or special.

He gives what is needed for Kingdom work.

It seems that the more faithful we are to use our gifts,

the more He trusts us to do for Him.

 

One thing I have learned while working at a church

is that the people who work behind the scenes

doing the unseen and often unappreciated tasks 

are usually people who truly love the Lord.

Their lives are testimony to that fact.

They go about their God-given tasks 

quietly, diligently, and cheerfully.

They seek no reward other than to please their Heavenly Father.

I also see those with more visible gifts 

who are using them for the Lord.

They put in time and effort to practice or study 

so that they will give their best for Him.

They too go about their God-given tasks 

quietly, diligently, and cheerfully.

They seek no reward other than to please their Heavenly Father.

Who do we serve?

Why do we serve?

The answers should be:

God.

To please Him.

Are we keeping ablaze the gift God has put in us?

I pray so.

 

"Father,

Thank You for the gifts of service You've given to me

Help me to use them for Your kingdom and glory.

Make me a fit vessel for Your service.

I love You!

In Jesus' Precious Name,

Amen"

Fickle Faith

James 1:6

 As Christians, our belief is based on faith.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,"

Ephesians 2:8 

I can honestly say I've never doubted my salvation.

I've never doubted that God loves me.

I've never doubted that Jesus' death and resurrection are real.

I've never doubted the promise of eternal life in Heaven.

My faith in Jesus is what has saved me.

However, God's Word also tells us that:

⁴ "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  

⁵ There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 

⁶ And there are diversities of activities, 

but it is the same God who works all in all. 

⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit 

is given to each one for the profit of all:  

⁸ for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, 

to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 

⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, 

to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,  

¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, 

to another prophecy, 

to another discerning of spirits, 

to another different kinds of tongues, 

to another the interpretation of tongues.  

¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, 

distributing to each one individually as He wills."

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

 I have the gift of faith.

Even in the worst of times, 

 I'm not a worrier.

I've just always known God will take care of me.

Even as a child, I trusted Him.

Raising my children,

going through a divorce,

surgeries, illnesses, financial strains, whatever the trial,

I never doubted.

I've wondered how He will answer sometimes, 

but never if.

And if the "worst" does happen,

which in the world's eyes is death,

that would be my best.

I'd be with my Lord and Savior.

It doesn't get any better than that!

That's what the gift of faith is.

That being said, 

I also know my faith can be fickle at times.

I do admit to getting weary of asking for the same thing over and over.

I wonder if I should quit asking.

Maybe the answer is no.

But some requests stay on my heart.

That's when I go back to James 1:6

 I ask God to forgive my doubting.

I ask Him to strengthen or remove the desire

And He does.

Because He IS faithful.

So I will keep on seeking Him will.

I will keep on giving Him my requests.

I will keep on asking in faith.

I will keep on acknowledging my doubts.

I will keep on keeping on.

That's what faith does.