Preparing to go

There are just a few minutes left before it's time for another weekend at Crossroads.

Sitting here watching Ohio State begin I decide to mute the TV for a few minutes and make sure I'm prepared to go.

I would guess in order for the Word of God that's about to be taught to actually affect my life, I need to prepare to hear.  To make sure I'm really ready to HEAR and apply the spoken truths.

I assume I should check my heart for any un-forgiveness and confess anything that remains.

To make sure I have cleared my mind of all distractions so that as I walk into Crossroads I can say that Christ holds first place in my life.

I would assume, that only if these preparations have been made will I truly receive what God needs me to hear so that it can become a part of me for all of eternity.

And now I will go, prepared by the Lord for the Lord.  

I'm excited to see what the Lord has for all of us!

what I learned today

It always amazes me that when I sit down to study, God takes me exactly where He wants me to be.  It's no accident.

I've been using She Reads Truth as my daily devotion and it challenges me every time!

Matthew 5:22  addresses any anger, ANY hard feelings we are holding on to against someone.

I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, "You fool" will be liable to the hell of fire.


Strong words about holding onto ANY, ANY, ANY grudge against anyone.

It doesn't say you can by angry toward someone that did something wrong to you, it doesn't say anything about 'justified anger', a term I often hear tossed around.  And here is why -

My reading says, "..when we go to those places in our hearts, someone is dying - we are; ....anger kills our spirits and clouds our lives with noxious fumes.  A thought life that includes these practices destroys our spirit for all the work the Father wants to unfold around us.  That is why the teachings of Jesus were so revolutionary, here is a God not only concerned with output, but concerned about our hearts"

When I think about any other religion, at least what I know about them, it's appears to be all about the output - constantly trying to achieve more and more to be acceptable.

The reverse is true for our spiritual walk, we can't even accomplish what He created us to do if we harbor ill-will or hatred toward another.

This could even mean that someone we watch and judge as not 'putting out enough' - could actually be the one God is most pleased with if they are abiding in Him with a pure heart and clean mind.  Remember Mary and Martha?

Today's challenge is simple.  Forgive - let go of it - and let God 'abide fully' in the very hearts and minds He created.

What I learned today - I'm unusable by The almighty God if my mind is not where it needs to be before Him.  Only then is my work accomplishing what He desires.

what I learned today

I have been thinking a lot about the Apostle Paul this week, ever since Pastor Tim taught us about him last weekend.

He was possibly Christianities' number 1 enemy for a while. The Christians spoke out against the laws that Paul and the Pharisees wrapped their lives around and considered it blasphemy. So Paul sought them out!

He thought he was right. He believed with all of his might that the Pharisees and all their rules were the Godly ones...wow, talk about being dead wrong. And so he sinned against the God he thought he was serving. He arranged for people like Stephen to be killed - he ruled with an iron fist.

Then he met Jesus, the Son of God. His world was rocked!

God's forgiveness was immediate. Still Paul's guilt and the realization of what he had done to so many innocent people had to make him question if he could be forgiven. I wonder how long he wrestled with the replays over and over in his head of all the atrocities and murders he had orchestrated before he surrendered the guilt. Maybe forgiving yourself is step one in understanding and fully participating in God's grace - easier said then done. I am not sure I could have ever fully put all of it behind me...but Paul fully understood the mercy God was offering and had no hesitation in moving into God's forgiveness.

From the time of his conversion on, all Paul thought about was Jesus. Every day for the rest of his life he urgently sought to know his Lord more deeply - obey more completely and tell everyone that came within shouting distance of God's mercy and forgiveness. And in doing so he became the target of the Pharisees and those that would not believe in his Jesus. Incredible.

parenting pain

I recently had the privilege of being part of a group praying for the wayward grandchild of a friend. Once you are a parent you share this common ability to almost feel the pain of another dealing with a wayward child.

I would suspect the pain caused by disobedience or struggling children must be among the most excruciating experienced in this life. I know even as I watched my kids from time to time struggle with decisions - it pierced my heart deeper than any worry or pain outside of parenthood that I have ever experienced. The desire to protect and prevent 'hard things' can often get in the way of letting them learn from their mistakes.

As we listened to the details our friend was going through - I felt pain as if the child was my own.

Later that day still thinking about him and praying for his family, again feeling the heaviness of worry and concern, God brought something to mind...

Is this how He feels about His children when we sin - when we don't consider His instructions meticulously laid out in the Bible explaining how our decisions should be made? An explanation created by the sacrifice of His son?

I wonder if the nail pierced scars throb with each sin that we decide to commit? How often have I caused Him to experience the pain of a wayward child ...

Feel the weight of worry and pain your children sometimes cause you and understand that it is fully comparable to what God feels each time we decide to gossip, criticize or disobey. Committing daily sin is a choice no matter how hidden from others that God sees each day. I hope to keep this comparison fresh in my heart as I look forward to a new week. His continuing forgiveness completely overwhelms me...just like that of a parent loving a child despite their sin.

all day choices

Choices are never ending.

You wake up with a day full of choices to make. What do I wear? What do I eat? What do I say? Am I still mad? Should I forgive? Will I extend grace...while driving, while explaining the same thing to someone for the 100th time, while addressing the same issue? Will I choose not to watch a show that probably isn't pleasing to my God? Will I obey and live as if this life doesn't belong to me?

One wrong choice can ruin your day, your month, your year, your life!

Sometimes there are second chances, sometimes not.

I started making choices today the second my foot hit the floor. I have not left my house yet but have already made some time wasting choices.

This post is not written to be a downer - just a reminder to myself to use each minute to live for Him.

So...what if today contained your final choices?

my day off

If any of you live in an area like Ohio, then you too have an appreciation for the signs of spring.

Last night was horrible with a nasty mixture of rain and snow blowing sideways! Today, sunshine. So with this inspiration I moved my closet around - burying turtlenecks deep into the recesses of my closet and moving summer shirts forward. I pulled out sandals and packed away boots. Perhaps premature, but there is always hope right?

God gives me a personal gift when I get to enjoy beautiful weather, you've heard me talk before about how much I love to be outdoors. The newness of spring is so exciting to me!

Somehow today my sister and I began talking about forgiveness. Forgiveness if it's genuine can definitely be a new beginning, much like spring.

To remain in a state of bitterness and not to forgive hurts and scars deeply. The thing we were discussing is 'who does it hurt more?' Toss up. To be denied forgiveness is brutal, to not offer forgiveness is cruel. What right do we have to withhold either when we have been forgiven so much by our Father? How we must hurt Him. I thanked Him today for second chances and forgiveness.

God used a beautiful Spring day off to remind me again how many new beginnings He has given me, and how grateful I am!

Godly confrontation

Is there such a thing? Godly confrontation? Yes! I have witnessed it many times. Maybe never as personally as today. I hurt one of my favorite brothers in Christ unintentionally, and he confronted me.

One thing no one can ever argue with is when you tell someone how you feel. That is how I was approached today.

Matthew 18 talks about this principle. If it was important enough to put in scripture than it needs to be practiced even today!

My brother came to me explaining how badly a decision I made had made him feel. I was devastated! I immediately asked for his forgiveness. I was humbled by his kind approach and wanted nothing as much as I desired to reconcile with him! The thought that something I did could cause him to hurt or worry, is unthinkable to me.

Just because this is a biblical principle does it always work? Of course not, it takes two to make it work. But what an opportunity it gives the offender, a chance to ask for forgiveness...and an opportunity to 'let it go' for the offended.

God knew what it would take to resolve misunderstandings and conflict. And He knew we would mess up in our relationships with one another! Brothers and sisters in unity, this is pleasing t0 our God. I am thankful for a friend who would care enough about our relationship to confront me. I am thankful for a friend who would give me a chance to ask for forgiveness. It was a good day!