Disarm

COL 2:14-15 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with Him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.

He disarmed them. In this day and age we mostly think of guns as arms

but these evil oppressive tyrants need more disarming than just weapons as we know them. New King James version says He "made a public spectacle of them" and The Message reads:  "He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets."

The Word says in Hebrews 4:12 " Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." And no one handles that sword quite like the Son of God! He also expects us to use that sword in our day to day life.

And "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds." (2COR 10:4)  Perhaps the best modern image we have is from 1989, Berlin ...

Mighty through God. So whether you are facing grief or illness, C-Diff or a toothache, depression or exuberant joy, please KNOW that God cares and Christ is working on your behalf. Lean Hard upon those Everlasting Arms. And be still.

C is for Cookie/Rubber Ducky - Pentatonix feat. Cookie Monster

Tricky Cookie Monster is at it again! Go, Cookie!!

Live, Behold, Inquire, Taken, Blessed Broken and Given

I write a weekly encouragement for the women involved in the Crossing Church meal ministry. Here are some of my recent thoughts.

 

Henri Nouwen wrote a book called "Life of the Beloved" in which he taught that each believer is to be taken, blessed, broken and given. Much like the words in the communion supper. At church and in small group we have been discussing studying the Bible and letting the Word transform us.

Oswald Chambers wrote in "My Utmost for His Highest" "The golden rule for your life and mine is this concentrated keeping of the life open towards God. Let everything else - work, clothes, food, everything on earth - go by the board, saving that one thing. The rush of other things always tends to obscure this concentration on God. We have to maintain ourselves in the place of beholding, keeping the life absolutely spiritual all through. Let other things come and go as they may, let other people criticize as they will, but never allow anything to obscure the life that is hid with Christ in God. Never be hurried out of the relationship of abiding in Him."

 

 

Even as we cook for others, pray for them, deliver meals, encourage, we must stay, abide, keep our lives open to the Lord.

Psalm 27: 4,8-9 reads "One thing I asked of The Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. "Come," my heart says, "seek His face!" Your face, Lord, do I seek. Do not hide Your face from me."

 

Even as He uses us in His service, we are to abide close to His heart, listening for His word to us each hour. Letting His word transform us, we are then taken, blessed, broken, given in service as He leads us.

 

 

 

Radical acceptance requires Total Surrender to the Holy Spirit.

Shawn McDonald - Mystery - SPIRIT 105.3 FM Live In Studio

Shawn Macdonald wrote and sang this song on You Tube before it was published. I own the CD and cannot get enough of the song!! Here are the lyrics. Hope it plays for you!

What will cause a man
To climb the highest mountain in search for more
And will cause a man
To swim the vast blue sea in search for more
What will cause a man
To soar through the clouds in search for more
Yes what is he looking for

[Chorus]
Now I'm sailing on the sea of Mystery
And I'm floating on the ocean of unknown
And I'm going to come ashore until I find what I'm looking for
I'm not coming back til I find love

What will cause a man
To wage the wildest storms in search for more
What will cause a man
To explore the darkest jungles in search for more
What will cause a man
To fly to the moon in search for more
Yes what is he looking for

[Chorus]
Now I'm sailing on the sea of Mystery
And I'm floating on the ocean of unknown
And I'm going to come ashore until I find what I'm looking for
I'm not coming back til I find love

Now I'm sailing on the open open blue
In hopes of someday finding You

[Chorus]
Now I'm sailing on the sea of Mystery
And I'm floating on the ocean of unknown
And I'm going to come ashore until I find what I'm looking for
I'm not coming back til I find love

Rowan Turned Three!

Our Grandboy at Three!?! A short photo history of how we got here! :-) 

Lizzie and Rowan

Ellie Holding Rowan

Pop and Rowan when he learned to stick his tongue out!

Classic Christmas wonder at trains!

First birthday - hope I'm not boring you!

"Who, us? We're not up to anything - MUCH!!"

Notice the cookie in his mouth!
Second Birthday, cheesy smile!

"The Look" from our Stinker.

And finally, the long awaited Remote Controlled CRANE!! with Daddy and his friend.

Would You Like Mashed Potatoes With That?

There is a saying "Work is love made visible." I saw that unfold recently.

2 COR 9:8 NIV "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

Do you believe that verse? We saw it come to pass on Wednesday January 15, 2014. The Smith family had a terrible loss when their son was killed in a car accident. Pastor Kenny wanted the church to provide lunch for the family after the visitation, funeral, and journey to the cemetery. Mind you, we do not have a committee for that, so the DIVAS Food committee stepped up to the plate. There were e-mails and phone calls and not a little bit of panic as to how to provide a hot lunch on short notice for 75 people. And since we are a portable church, we needed a location  or this, too!

The Lord made all grace abound to us. The Mt. Orab Church of Christ opened their doors and poured out abundant blessings and incredible hospitality to all of us. "So that in all things at all times, having all that you need..." I purchased table covers and salt and pepper shakers (and then returned them unused as the Mt. Orab group had the tables set and so lovely for us). I bought a tub of Country Crock margarine because butter pats are only sold in 200 and 300 count. Ruth whipped out a huge bag of Country Crock pats at Mt. Orab saying, "Here use these!" And I returned the Country Crock tub. The day unfolded in like manner with a grand total of something like 9 Crock Pots of food, plus 5 casseroles, dessert beyond what I could count, 18 bottles of soda, 2 huge boxes of chicken from Kroger, etc.,etc., etc.

Now there was a running joke in the kitchen about the over-abundance of mashed potatoes. Seems “Mrs. Mashed-Potato-River” had panicked and called lots of people to bring mashed potatoes :-) So the humor in the kitchen was flowing with potato jokes. Would you like Mashed potatoes with that cake? We can call it pie a la mode with potatoes instead of ice cream!

Grandpa John Leppla told me he counted 74 at lunch and joked that we provided one serving too many. "And having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." We were able to provide three branches of the mourning family with left overs to take home. There was plenty of help in the labor of cleaning up and restoring the Mt. Orab kitchen to its pristine self. And though we agree a Benevolence Committee needs to be formed for future similar events, we were amazed to see how the Body of Christ poured out love and concern for the Smith and Leppla families.  It was an amazing day with Mt. Orab church and The Crossing working in unison to provide comfort and hope to those in need. 

EPH 4:4-6  making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,  one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Ears to Hear?

Oswald Chambers wrote:

Jesus said: "The words that I speak unto you," not the words I have spoken, "they are spirit, and they are life." The Bible has been so many words to us - clouds and darkness - then all of a sudden the words become spirit and life because Jesus re-speaks them to us in a particular condition. That is the way God speaks to us, not by visions and dreams, but by words. When a man gets to God it is by the most simple way of words."

One of the hardest exercises we used in marriage enrichment classes was teaching listening skills. One person (the speaker) held an object (potholder or wooden spoon) while the other person was allowed to speak uninterrupted. The person listening was not to be formulating their response or reaction, but rather listening so that they could say back something like "I think I heard you say you are lonely and scared. Is that right?" when it was their turn to speak. It was difficult and awkward because we are so unaccustomed to truly listening to others, especially the person we live closest to. The responses were stilted because they had nothing of the defensive in them.

But then I have to wonder how am I doing listening to God, truly hearing what He is saying to me? Oswald Chambers stressed "the word Jesus speaks to me." Not the words Jesus spoke in the past, but present day, present moment. How can you hone your listening skills with our Savior and maybe even your spouse?

Lord, whoever have ears, let them hear. Mt 11:15, 13:9, 43; MK 4:9, 23; 7:16; LK 8:8; 14:35

Of Starlings and Flickers

It is brutally cold outside. I filled the bird feeders yesterday and replaced the suet cakes the day before. I found myself getting aggravated as one of my least favorite birds, the Starlings, keep coming around and hogging the feeders.

 I find nothing lovely about these noisy, messy, squawkers. And then I was reminded that  the Lord made all the birds.  

And He wants me to try 

to see His hand in each one. 
Just like He  makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and send rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous, oops. I have even been judging birds!

I will try to keep from beating on the window to scare away the Starlings. (I think the are on to me anyways!) But I admit I delight more in the visits from the Flicker and the occasional Yellow-bellied Sapsucker!

Should I Bother God With My Little Concerns?

Yep, I fell off the blogging wagon. Perhaps I am back? Here is food for thought.

 

Someone raised the question "I do not think I should bother God with my little concerns when there is death and loss, accidents to body and mind, grief and failure all about me."

 

If we turn that conversation to our own family and put those words in the mouths of our children, we would be aghast at their reluctance to tell us of their needs. "Of course I want to know your needs!," we might say, "You are MINE!"

 

We are the children of our Heavenly Father and He loves us. He loves us beyond our comprehension. What concerns us concerns Him. This Holy, Triune God wants to be involved in our lives. Just waiting to be invited. Standing at the door knocking, waiting for the door to be opened by each of us individually.

 

 

Francoic De La Mothe Fenelon wrote: "When you find that weariness depresses or amusement distracts you, you will calmly turn with an untroubled spirit to your Heavenly Father, who is always holding out His arms to you. You will look to Him for gladness and refreshment when depressed, for moderation and recollection when in good spirits, and you will find that He will never leave you to want. A trustful glance, a silent movement of the heart towards Him will renew your strength; and though you may often feel as if your soul were downcast and numb, whatever God calls you to do, He will give you power and courage to perform. Our Heavenly Father, so far from overlooking us, is only waiting to find our hearts open, to pour into them the torrents of His grace.

 

"A trustful glance, a silent movement of the heart towards Him." Yes, Lord, help us we pray.

Radical acceptance requires Total Surrender to the Holy Spirit.