Your Presence...

Greetings, Friends!

And to those visiting, I say welcome! Susie Larson here...

I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So share an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend. And, I LOVE it when you encourage each other on this blog! So please feel free to post a word of encouragement when you feel so inspired.

Now on to my topic:

I've been praying about what to share with you today and the thing that's most on my heart is the whole idea of presence.

As I walk through the grieving process, I find myself remembering certain things about my dad I never realized I'd treasure so much. I remember sitting on the couch, working on my homework and having my dad walk into the living room, put on an Elvis Presley or Andy Williams album. He'd take me by the hand and stand me up so I could dance with him. We'd sway back and forth and he'd twirl me a time or two. We'd giggle, then minutes later, I'd sit back down to do my homework.

The reason scripture says that it's better to go to a house of mourning than a house where there's a party is because losing a loved one causes you remember what's important: people and God. When you go to a party, the mentality is "consume now, pay later."

It's a gift to remember how brief life is. It's a precious treasure to remember that life is a gift, and that the more we love, the less we'll have to regret.

What can we give others so they will know God's love? We give them our attentive presence. We look them in the eyes. We love them right where they live. And we point them to the Truth of God's love. We refuse the curse of a hurried, skim-the-surface kind of life. And we determine to send our roots down into the soil of God's marvelous love, so we'll have plenty to give to those we meet along the way.

May we determine to be present with those God puts in our presence. May we be so in tune with the Father's love that they can easily grasp how wonderfully He loves them.

And may we ourselves, camp long in God's presence; long enough to remember that He adores us with an ever lasting love. He offers us the riches of His love and every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm (See Ephesians 1). He invites us into His presence that He may impart more of Himself to us.

We have access to God's powerful presence because of Christ's victory on the cross. We can walk in His presence as we live here on earth (See Psalm 116:9). He is an ever present help in times of trouble; fully engaged with us every step of the way. He laughs when we're funny, and aches for us when we believe a lie. He always has our best interest at heart and He makes a way when there seems to be no way.

Scripture says in Psalm 16:11 ~ In Your presence the FULLNESS OF JOY is found. Think about that for a moment: in the Lord's presence, we find spilling over joy, an abundance of peace, and everything good.

We tend to make everything a task, but it doesn't have to be that way. The sacred moments are those that compel us to celebrate life, to embrace God's greatness, and to be in awe of His goodness. God's great gift to us is His attentive presence. He breathes life into our weary soul that we may live full and powerful lives. 

May we be as present with those we love.

On the day of my dad's burial service, my boys, my daughter in law, my husband, and I scurried around the house to get ready for the service. We pressed our clothes, the guys straightened their ties, the mood felt somber. Suddenly, my oldest son Jake flipped open his laptop and played a bebop 'dance with me' song by a British girl band. The fun upbeat song instantly changed our mood. In a matter of seconds, we  were dancing around the kitchen, clapping to the beat, and celebrating life. God gave me that wonderful moment with my sons and hubby, right in the middle of a painful day, and I'll always cherish it.

Maybe you celebrate life in a different way. No matter; may your sacred moments not escape your notice. May they not get away from you before you've had a chance to embrace them, enjoy them, and thank God for them.

May we all live constantly aware of God's presence in our midst. May we give others (especially our husbands and children) the gift our presence. And may we splash in pools of blessing right in the midst of our very important and busy days.

Sieze those sacred moments because those are the ones you'll remember.

~Until next week.

Make Room For Peace This Season...

Happy Wednesday, Friends! Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome. I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So share an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend. 

It's time to announce the winner for November...and the winner is..."Wick". Congratulations and thanks for your posts! (email me your name and mailing address and we'll get your card out within the next week. My email is: Susie@FaithRadioNet.com) 

Recently I had Ann Voskmap (author of the runaway bestseller, "One Thousand Gifts") on the show. We had a powerful conversation about giving thanks and about making sacred space for Jesus this holiday season. If you need a soul lift-me-up, listen to this show. I promise you, you'll be blessed by this interview. Here's the podcast link.

Now on to my topic...

A while back I had a great conversation with my sister. We talked about our bursting-at-the-seams task lists along with our desire to enjoy a better pace, a deeper peace, and a few sacred pauses this season. I'm not sure how you do it, but I'd like to share a few ideas that have worked for me over the years.

Remember, the holiday season only lasts a few short weeks. Typically we cram in our already crammed schedule, a bunch of parties, an 'ought-to' cookie exchange that we don't particularly enjoy, and a handful of other activities that make us more tired than joyful. 

Now granted, maybe a cookie exchange is the just the thing that brings you joy. Well, then, that's the very activity you should make time for in your schedule.

But, as Believers in Christ Jesus, as followers of our Most Sacred King, we must make room for HIM this season. We must not be at the mercy of the commercial craziness all around us! Just how do we engage in a better pace, embrace a deeper peace, and pause long enough to marvel at the works of God?

Here are a few ideas...

Postpone: Chances are, you've made for yourself an impossible task list this holiday season. Are there engagements you can postpone until after the holidays? Are there tasks that can wait? Can you make a few calls and create a little more room in the Inn this season? I encourage you to do just that.

Plan NOT to have Plans: Right now, before the month gets away from you, mark of at least one (better yet, two) nights a week where you plan not to have plans. Let your children miss practice, tell your church committee you need to be home this week. The world will go on even if you miss a meeting or two. Of course, you want to fulfill your responsibilities to others, but if those responsibilities take you away from Jesus, you might want to make some adjustments sooner than later. I promise you, you won't regret making extra room for Jesus this holiday season.

Practice the Pause: Every chance you get, stop in your tracks and take a brief moment to pause, to be still and know that our God is the One and Only, the True Almighty, the Lover of our Souls, and the Maker of Heaven and earth. Look around you and see His handiwork. Embrace the gift of living in a free country where you can lift your hands and praise Him in public, without fear for your life. Sit by the Christmas tree with a cup of cider and exhale; thank Him for your warm home and comfortable bed. Practicing the pause is excellent for your health and even better for your spirit. Cease striving and know that He is God!

Determine now to make room in your life, in your heart, and in your holidays for the Prince of Peace. I promise, you won't be sorry!

So, what do you do to make the holidays a sacred season? I'd love to know!

~Until Next Week

And More Will be Given...

Happy Wednesday, Everyone! Susie Larson here...

and to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way...

Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So leave a post, share an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend!

Now on to my topic...

Well, this morning as I prayed about today's blog post, the words, "And more will be given" kept running through my mind. And I think it's a great topic for today. 

May we give God our listening ear, our hopes and passions, our gifts and talents, and even our weak and feeble attempts to serve Him. God is the Divine Multiplier! He takes our puny little offering and He makes something of it. And, He deposits Heaven's resources into our lives because He is after a return on His investment in us.

Let's look at a couple of verses that speak to the 'more' that He wants to give to us:

Matthew 13:12

To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.

What's exciting to me is that God calls us to LISTEN, why? Because He has some things He wants to say to us! God wants to speak to us!  In fact, the Bible also says that God - the Creator of Heaven and Earth - confides in those who fear Him. He leans in and whispers profound secrets of wisdom and truth to those who honor and esteem His Name. Isn't that just amazing? But since that's true, may we remember that He is God and thus, be ever listening for that still, small voice.

How many times throughout the Bible do we read these words, "Listen!"? In the New Testament, God speaks out these words, "This is My Beloved Son. Listen to Him." 

To whom much is given, much is required. Since God has given us His Son that we might have access to His presence and promises, He expects that we will listen and respond to His direction and leading in our lives. And it's not because He is a micro manager. He is LOVE. He is GOOD. He knows BEST. And loves us MOST. He has our best interest at heart and is very protective of our lives and our dreams. He knows that we can't go this alone. 

For those who heed the gentle voice and who do what He says, more clarity will be given. More insight and inspiration will be entrusted to them. Imagine, God's voice becoming clearer to you; more distinctive; more profound. What a priceless gift He has offered us here.

But there's a downside to this promise. Those who get so busy with life that they miss what He says, will lose their sense of spiritual receptivity. Those who coddle their fears more than they cling to the promises of God, will not hear God's voice when He calls them to a more spacious and free place. Can you think of a more devastating loss than to lose the sense of God's voice in your ear? 

It matters if we listen or if we don't. 

Here is another verse to consider:

Matthew 25:29

To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

Here again we are called to steward well what we've been given. If we take for granted the gifts of God, they will, in due time, slip through our fingertips. 

What have you been given? If you've received any encouragement from others, give some away. If you have food in your cupboards, give some away. If you've been offered a forgiveness you don't deserve (which, you have) offer forgiveness to someone who doesn't deserve it. 

And how about the gifts and talents God has given you? Whether you work in the ministry or in the corporate world, whether you're raising children or caring for your elderly parents; all of these are sacred when done with Jesus in mind. Bloom where you're planted. Use the gifts God has given you for His glory. Live with passion, conviction, courage, and compassion. Sow seeds of faith. Embrace hope. Walk in love.

Let everything you do, be done with Him in mind. And as you pour out your life to a world in need, more - much more - will be given to you.

~Until two weeks from now...

(PS - I'll be away from my computer next week so I won't be able to post. Bless you, bless you. :)

Evidence of Our Christianity...

 

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog.  So leave a post, share an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a fun treat this month!

I am thinking of changing things up on my blog and posting shorter pieces twice a week rather than a longer piece once a week. Let me know what you think of that idea...

One more fun piece of information:

Post a review of my new book, "Growing Grateful Kids" on Amazon and enter to win a 4GB I-Pod Shuffle! 

Now on to my topic...

It's been an eventful week thus far. My mom was taken by ambulance to the hospital due to some heart issues (she's okay now), and my brother in law and nephew were in a horrible boating accident leaving my brother in law seriously injured. For the Believer, tough times always remind us of our moment by moment need for Jesus.

The other day as my son and I drove home from the hospital, we talked about the day when Jesus returns. I said to him, "You know, there are plenty of people who think they are saved, but are not. There are plenty of people who expect to be taken up who will be surprised to be left behind. The Bible says that there are even those who performed miracles in Christ's name, to whom Jesus will say, "I never knew you." 

Read Matthew 7:21-23 from the Message paraphrase:

"Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.'

Very sobering, don't you think?

Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us that we are saved by GRACE, and that it's a GIFT of God and not a result of works, so that not one of us can brag about it. We are saved by grace, but the authenticity of our salvation is proved by the fruit that comes from our lives. And we don't produce 'more fruit' by cranking out a bunch of good works that make us look like good Christians. We produce fruit to the extent that we abide in the Vine. Daily, moment by moment nourishment from our Life Source is what gives us life and grows fruit that through us, nourishes others.

My heart breaks to thinks of the millions of people who, by association, consider themselves Christians. They go to church, they may even be involved in church activities, but their personal lives bear no evidence that a living-breathing Savior resides within compelling them to cultivate an atmosphere of growth in their lives. 

What are the fruits of the Spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control. And further evidence that we have a thriving-intimate walk with a loving Savior? An ever-increasing sense of gratitude and humility.

For the truly saved, there is an overwhelming sense of what we've been saved from, and of what we've been forgiven. If we are loosely casual with God's unfathomable offer of forgiveness, then we are not clear on the depths of our offense or the weight of our debt. Because if we truly understood the eternal significance of our sin, we would be overwhelmed by the eternal significance of God's gift to us through Jesus Christ's finished work on the cross.

As we grow in Christ, we become increasingly grateful for His forgiveness. Why? Because the more we understand His greatness, the more apparent our nothingness becomes. And in understanding our insignificance apart from Christ, we become overwhelmed that Jesus would want to make something significant of us in spite of our human nature. Truly amazing.

The longer I walk with the Lord, the more grateful and joyful I become. The more I learn about my Savior, the more I am overwhelmed that I get to be associated with Him. Even though His purity exposes my carnality, it only inspires gratitude because His goodness swallows up my badness.

Oh, my heart aches for the multitudes who consider Jesus a casual acquaintance. He didn't come to us on those terms! 

May our lives bear the evidence that the Savior of the world lives and breathes through us! And may our ever increasing passion for His presence, His Word, and His concerns shout to the world that Jesus lives and He lives in us!

Have a blessed week~

PS ~ I'll be on a much-needed vacation next week but I'll be back the following week. Thanks for your patience. Bless you.

A Clear Past...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Each month I give away a $10.00 gift card to someone who posts on my blog. This month I'll give away a gift card from Starbucks, so leave a comment, share a story, and bless lots of people!

Now on to my topic...

A couple of months ago I was praying my way through the 23rd Psalm, and you know how this happens, a certain verse came off the page and begged for a deeper look. Here's the verse:

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (v.26).

I pondered the idea of 'mercy following me' and and considered it a fresh blessing from heaven!

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 139:5 ~ You both precede and follow me, You place Your hand of blessing upon my head.

The Lord of mercy follows us, covering our our (repented of) missteps and mistakes with His grace. He picks up the broken pieces of our lives and makes a beautiful collage of redemption. Every sin repented of, every misstep acknowledged at the Cross, is covered in Covenant blood. It's wiped out.

So when you or I strain our neck to look backwards at our past mistakes, Jesus is there. And if we don't see Him there, we are not seeing clearly. We are seeing a distorted picture. A fake one, actually. Because in the light of God's mercy, our past has been altered! Our past has been changed!

It is forgiven. In Christ, I'm forgiven and so are you. 

God takes every horrible situation and makes something out of it. He shapes circumstances and people and redeems every lost thing. He goes before us and clears the way. He walks behind us and paves the disjointed paths of our past with a fresh covering of mercy.

Often when the enemy gets us to consider our past, he does so by singling us out and amplifying our mistakes in the absence of grace and mercy. For the Believer, this is a totally distorted picture. For the Believer, this picture is a lie. 

Everyone has a past. Everyone has said, done, and thought things they'd rather forget. We've hurt others. We've been hurt by others. We've sinned in ways too many to count. But the point is: ALL have sinned and fallen way short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Don't let the enemy single you out! 

Goliath tried to do that to young David. But David had the presence of mind to disregard those 'singling out' comments and shouted out, "Who is this Philistine that defies the armies of the living God?" In other words he was saying, "When you defy me, you defy the armies of the Living God! You will not pick me apart or single me out!"

Our strategy for standing strong against the enemy is to be strong in the Lord. We must not look at our pasts alone, with the devil, and a large HD TV (amplifying every mistake and misstep). Everything about that scenario is wrong. 

If we must look back, may we do so in the presence of love and grace and mercy, with God at our side, and amidst an army of Believers who have likewise sinned, but have been forgiven and redeemed. 

One redeemed sinner sends a thousand to flight, and two? Ten thousand! 

There's power in numbers and the mercy of God has our back! Praise be to God who always leads us in His triumph! As we dwell in the presence of the Lord from day to day, it becomes easier and easier to acquaint ourselves with His mercy, grace, and love. We are surrounded by His provision and forgiveness which is not so hard to grasp when we walk closely beside Him. 

Do not fixate on what lies behind you! Look forward to what God has set before you. Fix your eyes on Jesus and run the race marked out before you with focus, faith, discipline, and love. Miracle breakthroughs are on the horizon. 

Blessings to you this week~

PS - If you haven't signed up for my E-zine, you might want to! Four times a year you'll receive an email magazine with great devotional insights, free books from my author friends, great quotes, and great book recommendations. Here's the link in case you're interested:

Sign up for Susie's E-zine...