A Sweet Sacrifice...

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

For those visiting for the first time I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and the purpose of this Blog is simple: to encourage and inspire you to pursue a deeper life in Christ, that it may translate into a powerful life on earth.

I was reading Romans 12:1-2 the other day and its meaning came alive to me. Here's what it says, "Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

The more I learn and comprehend the love of God, the more I understand that to offer myself as a living sacrifice is simply to entrust myself to Him.

The picture you see on today's post is one of my son and his sweet, precious girlfriend.

Watching their love unfold is like watching a flower grow in all its beauty.

They love the Lord and want His highest and best in all they do.

What I love about this picture is that it captures the way God wants us to lean back and entrust ourselves to Him.

Instead of clenching our fists or demanding to be heard when we are missed or overlooked, we can offer ourselves to the Lord and entrust ourselves to Him. He is our greatest defender and He will make a way for us.

When we are unappreciated for all of our hard work, we can offer ourselves to God; we can lean back and trust in His love, because He promises to reward the work of our hands when we live for Him.

We won't need to look to people to affirm or notice us because God does, and it's His opinion that matters at the end of the day.

In this world we were promised we would have trouble, but our Savior has overcome the world. Our safest place is with Him; leaning, trusting, and loving the One who loves us.

The second verse in this passage tells us not to conform to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This doesn't mean we cover our ears, cover our eyes, and declare, "I see nothing, I hear nothing!" It means we entrust ourselves to God. We allow our thoughts to be consumed with the fact that we are God's priceless treasure.

When God's love consumes our thoughts, we can't help but care about the things He does. We begin loving the unlovely, giving to those in need, and believing His promises are true.

The Bible says that it's not that we loved Him, but that He loved us. The Bible says that daily He pours forth His love to a thirsty and desperate world. Yet much of the world is moving too frantically from one place to the next, that they miss what's being offered them with each new day.

Look at the picture again. Pursue moments like this each day.

Lean back and rest in the loving arms of your Savior.

When tough moments or mean people cross your will or make you mad, offer yourself to the Lord, entrust yourself to Him, and allow the rhythm of His heartbeat to bring you back to a place of peace and perspective.

Why is this important? Because as this passage says, when our minds are renewed we will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing, perfect, and highest best for us.

Can you think of a more priceless gift?

As the world rushes, you rest.

Entrust yourself to Him that your life may be a sweet scent of Heaven to a desperate world in need.

May Your Love Abound...

Greetings, dear friends!

For those of you who read my weekly posts, I ask your forgiveness for not posting last week. I was a bit under the weather. You may want to consider subscribing to this blog. That way you will recieve notification as soon as my blog is posted each week. I post every Monday.

Now on to the topic. I love the Christmas season; the sights, the smells, and the sense that hope is within our reach. I know that for many, this season ushers in stress, fear, and anxiety. As much as we would love for our lives to represent the thirty second holiday commercials, most of us know what it is to barely hang on while those around us celebrate with glee.

Life has a way of disregarding the special dates on the calendar. Thankfully, the promise of peace doesn't abide by a schedule either. We are promised peace and love on every day, in every situation. And yet, how easy it is to let anxious and fearful thoughts tie us up like an old string of Christmas lights. It seems wrong that one burnt-out bulb can extinguish a whole string of lights, but it can. It seems equally unfortunate that the darkness of fear often overtakes our capacity for faith, hope and love.

Just this morning I read these words from scripture:

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11).



Rather than relying on the season to deliver us a gift of the perfect-looking Christmas, may we instead walk in, rely on, and count on the love of God who daily lavishes Himself upon us. Instead of fretting because others let us down or overlook us, let us walk in love with an ever increasing understanding of its power.

When we make it our aim to recieve as much of the love of God as our souls can handle, we will be made full during the most depleting times. When our goal is to give away as much love as we can (regardless of our circumstances), we will find a richness no commercial could ever capture.

Take a deep breath today. Look out the window and smile. Know that your name is written on the hand of God and know that your life is in His care. Refuse thoughts of worry, doubt and fear.

Embrace faith instead. Cling to the hope that God will make everything beautiful in its time. Walk in love today. Give away as much love as you can. Be a blessing to everyone around you. Give to those who have less than you.

Establish a new level of Christmas joy by abounding in love because the King of the world is overwhelmingly in love with you. The more you give, the greater your capacity to receive.

By the way, these darling children are my niece and nephews (what a picture of love!).

A Divine Appetite

In a few short days, we in America will celebrate a wonderful holiday. The rich scent of turkey and stuffing in the oven, pies on the cooling rack, and a spice candle burning on the stove will usher in our sweet time of Thanksgiving. As we set our best table, play our best music, and put on our best spread, the sights, sounds, and scents of the season will fill up our homes.

Thanksgiving is a great time for families and friends to gather and enjoy one another's company. Even more so, Thanksgiving is a profound time to pause and give thanks for the ways God has been faithful to us as a nation, and more specifically to us as His children.

I am counting the days until my boys come home from college and we're all together again. I am excited to hear their latest tales of adventure and as much as I hate to admit it, I am even looking forward to seeing them wrestle around on the floor and turn the house upside down.

My mouth waters as I think of my sister's sweet potatoes or my Mom's stuffing. My brother-in-law makes the juciest turkey known to man and I will be bringing some delectable desserts.

And yet, while it is true that I look forward to this Thanksgiving with great anticipation, truer still is the Divine Hunger God has stirred within me this past year. More than anything, I hunger for more of Him.

I love how God moves in when we draw near. I love how He drops surprises in our path when we least expect them. I love how He loves the least-of-these and asks us to as well. I love how He whispers when the rest of the world screams. I love how He quickens the heart when a song resounds, or a bird sings, or a child laughs.

There's something about this Divine walk that stirs up the hunger.

When we know there's more, we want it.

I know there's far more to the character God than I could ever comprehend. I know He promises to be found by those who earnestly seek after Him. I know that He actually confides, confides, mind you, in those who walk with Him in a reverent way.

He cherishes our dreams and refuses to quench the smallest hopes. He remembers our prayers long after we forget them and He's constantly moving on our behalf. Every thought He has towards us is born out of deep love and affection.

He's been there for me and I love Him so.

I know Him more now, than I did last year. Much more, in fact.

And it's not enough for me.

My prayers of late have been, "I want more, Lord. And once You've given me more, increase my capacity for You, and then give me more again. I want to be so full of Your compassion and Your love, that when others encounter me...they encounter You."

Hunger is a good thing when it makes you turn to Him.

May this blessed Holiday Season stir up a renewed hunger and affection for the One who deeply loves you.