The song "Blessed Assurance" has been a part of my life for a long time. As a child I remember singing it in church, as a young adult it meant a lot to me as well,l but not until 1987 did the words take on a new depth of meaning for me. you see, it was one of the songs I sang at my mother's bedside in the hospital, as she lay dying of cancer. As I held my mother's hand and she took her final breath, I believe God gave her and me the sweet blessed assurance that everything was going to be OK. And it was. Sure it was hard to let her go, I grieved as a young mother of two young children of all the events she wouldn't be a part of my life of anymore. And to make it even more difficult, my mother's mom had passed away just two weeks previous to my mother's death. The sense of loss was overwhelming, and yet underneath the pain and sorrow that we as humans face with our earthly emotions, there was an underlying peace and sweet blessed assurance that some day I would meet them both again in Heaven.
So the other day some twenty odd years later, I woke up with the words to that song in my mind. It means as much to me now as ever, but I paused to slow down and really listen and to think about the words.
"Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.......
Now that right there lets me know that no matter what circumstances I am going through today, I need to stop and accept the fact that Jesus is mine.
He is my Savior, he is my Redeemer, my friend. Most importantly of all is that whatever is facing me today, I can rest in the peace and sweet blessed assurance that he is right here with me holding my hand through it all.
Oh what a foretaste of glory divine..........
Now to me that means that whatever joy or happiness we have here on planet earth is just an appetizer for the wondrous joy that yet awaits us. Eyes have not seen, nor ears have heard the wonderful things, the glorious things that God has prepared for his children. We are just allowed a foretaste, a glimpse of the marvelous joy that is waiting for us in Heaven.
Heir of salvation, purchased of God, born of his spirit, washed in his blood.
This is my heritage. My entitlement to this blessed assurance has been already bought with Christ's death on the cross, paid in full by his precious
blood.
This is MY Story this is MY Song, praising my Saviour all the day long.
This means that this is personal to me. It is the story of My redemption, and because I've been redeemed, it is my song of praise, praising my saviour all day and everyday for what he has done for me. Hallelujah!
It is also the story of my life; the joy, the pain, the heartache, the loss the difficulties, the trials, the sorrows.
Some people feel that we as Christians should never experience pain, sorrow or difficulties. I know that we were never promised that life would be a "Rose Garden:" I know that life is not fair. I know that it rains on the just and the unjust. I know that as long as I am clothed in this earthly, fleshly body, I will be subject to the emotions and experiences that we as humans experience. Our Savior knows first hand these pains and sorrows as well when he experienced heart wrenching pain and grief while here on earth.
And so beloved, we are given a gift; this blessed sweet assurance that when we have to walk through the fire of trials on this earth, that we are never truly alone. Our Savior is right there walking aside us reaching out to hold our hand through the most difficult times.
"Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine"..................................
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
What God Requires
Last night I began a bible study written by Beth Moore. Every time I read her books or watch her on DVD, I am totally amazed and blown away at how gifted she is. The way she writes, her ability to speak to an audience, the way it seems like she can identify with so many christian women and their struggles today.
So this morning when I got up I was thinking; I have such a yearning, burning desire to write! Then the second thought; "well what can I write about?" My next thought was; "oh why can't I write like Beth Moore?" Can you see where this was going? All of a sudden what started out as a simple desire to write, escalated into a pity party because I'm not as talented as Beth Moore.
Well, the Holy Spirit immediately convicted me and I felt God speak clearly to me and say; "because, I did not CALL YOU to be Beth Moore."
Ouch! OK, God, point taken. God showed me that he didn't call me to be Beth Moore, or Oprah, or Sandi Patty, or anybody else.
God called me to be me and only me!
He instilled in me the gifts that I have to glorify him, to serve him, and him alone. He created me uniquely, he made me an original; by his divine specifications, he formed me into his child with the skills and talents he determined me to have. He also allows situations into my life that help me learn how to grow stronger in him. These experiences are sometimes the turning points in my life that later become my personal testimony to God's miraculous and mighty power.
What God requires of me is only to be the best me possible! To love him, to worship him, to serve him with my whole heart and to use my gifts and talents to honor him and bless others. I don't have to compare myself with anybody else, no matter how beautiful or talented they are.
God just requires (or rather desires) me to be just ME!
And so I am reminded once more of these words:
"I have great worth apart from my performance because Christ gave his life for me, and therefore, imparted great value to me.
I am deeply loved, fully pleasing, totally forgiven, accepted and complete in Christ."
Since I tend to be a little stubborn and bull headed, I'm sure God will continue to allow situations and circumstances to occur in my life until I can finally learn this powerful and truthful lesson.
God simply requires me to be me.....it is enough.
So this morning when I got up I was thinking; I have such a yearning, burning desire to write! Then the second thought; "well what can I write about?" My next thought was; "oh why can't I write like Beth Moore?" Can you see where this was going? All of a sudden what started out as a simple desire to write, escalated into a pity party because I'm not as talented as Beth Moore.
Well, the Holy Spirit immediately convicted me and I felt God speak clearly to me and say; "because, I did not CALL YOU to be Beth Moore."
Ouch! OK, God, point taken. God showed me that he didn't call me to be Beth Moore, or Oprah, or Sandi Patty, or anybody else.
God called me to be me and only me!
He instilled in me the gifts that I have to glorify him, to serve him, and him alone. He created me uniquely, he made me an original; by his divine specifications, he formed me into his child with the skills and talents he determined me to have. He also allows situations into my life that help me learn how to grow stronger in him. These experiences are sometimes the turning points in my life that later become my personal testimony to God's miraculous and mighty power.
What God requires of me is only to be the best me possible! To love him, to worship him, to serve him with my whole heart and to use my gifts and talents to honor him and bless others. I don't have to compare myself with anybody else, no matter how beautiful or talented they are.
God just requires (or rather desires) me to be just ME!
And so I am reminded once more of these words:
"I have great worth apart from my performance because Christ gave his life for me, and therefore, imparted great value to me.
I am deeply loved, fully pleasing, totally forgiven, accepted and complete in Christ."
Since I tend to be a little stubborn and bull headed, I'm sure God will continue to allow situations and circumstances to occur in my life until I can finally learn this powerful and truthful lesson.
God simply requires me to be me.....it is enough.
Friday, May 27, 2011
A Prayer for today
Dear God,
Open my mind, soften my heart; mold me and make me pliable.
Help me come to a state of surrendering to your will.
Let me feel your presence, let me honor and respect your holiness, your awesomeness.
May I rest in the assurance that you are guiding me, directing my steps; that you are in control and that all is well.
May I search my heart and seek forgiveness for any thought, action or deed, that is not pleasing to you.
May I lay any concerns, worries or fears at your feet; trusting that you will take care of any and all of my needs.
May I feel compassion for others and pray for their needs as well as mine.
May I find areas to serve you and to reflect your love to all I meet.
May I resist all thoughts of resistance, judgement, unforgiveness, and fear; taking captive any negative thoughts and surrendering them to you.
May I feel your peace, hope and love in my life every day.
May I be grateful for the blessings that you bestow upon me and thankful for all situations, recognizing and learning the lessons that you are trying to teach me.
Let me recognize your truth in all things.
Help me oh God, to live the wonderful, awesome, abundant life that you have planned for me.
Amen
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Priming the well
When I was growing up, we were poor. I had to go outside in all kinds of weather and pump water from a well, carry it back inside the house and then heat it up on a space heater. This was in the late sixties/early seventies and not too many of my friends lived in such dire conditions.
Now, before you could even get a drop of water out of the well, you had to prime it. This meant forcing the pump handle up and down continuously for some time until the force propelled the water up and out of the pump. This was called "priming". You couldn't just go to the pump and pump the handle one time and expect a stream of water to start gushing forth. No, it always took time, effort, and strength to manually force the water to come up into and out of the pump.
And so, life is the same. Sometimes we want "instant" everything. Answers to life's questions, solutions to the problems at hand. Although we live in a world of instant gratification, sometimes it's just not that simple. Sometimes the water in the well is far from the surface and takes a lot of so called "priming."
I don't necessarily enjoy "priming the well", but lately things seem to be requiring a lot more effort on my part to get the end result.
I have been doing a lot of "priming the well" lately. Searching for the refreshing coolness of water when my soul and spirit is parched and dry. I know it will eventually come and so I wait; and I keep on "priming the well".
Now, before you could even get a drop of water out of the well, you had to prime it. This meant forcing the pump handle up and down continuously for some time until the force propelled the water up and out of the pump. This was called "priming". You couldn't just go to the pump and pump the handle one time and expect a stream of water to start gushing forth. No, it always took time, effort, and strength to manually force the water to come up into and out of the pump.
And so, life is the same. Sometimes we want "instant" everything. Answers to life's questions, solutions to the problems at hand. Although we live in a world of instant gratification, sometimes it's just not that simple. Sometimes the water in the well is far from the surface and takes a lot of so called "priming."
I don't necessarily enjoy "priming the well", but lately things seem to be requiring a lot more effort on my part to get the end result.
I have been doing a lot of "priming the well" lately. Searching for the refreshing coolness of water when my soul and spirit is parched and dry. I know it will eventually come and so I wait; and I keep on "priming the well".
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Slings and splints and things
Ok, I have come to the realization that splints and slings do not make great writers friends. So if I happen to be slow to post new things....this is why.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Sequel to: The Broken Vase
Recently I shared a story about a favorite vase of mine that had mysteriously broken. Yes, I was disappointed, but I had no other recourse than to just "let it go". Since then I have learned a significant lesson. The lesson again of letting go and not holding on.
Although I think that I am not a materialistic person, I constantly find myself connected to the things in my life. The material items are not really worth much monetarily speaking. (most have been purchased at really great deals at thrift stores or yard sales) but rather in the emotional attachment that I place on them. Perhaps that comes from my family losing all our possessions in a house fire when I was a child. Or perhaps it comes from the joy I get in finding the "perfect" accessory to complement my living space. You see, I consider my home "my nest" ~ it is my haven, my sanctuary. My home is a reflection of who I am, an extension of myself. When I come home after a long day, I find comfort & rest there. I live on very limited means, so the items I do have, eventually find a special place in my heart, because I know that I normally could not afford to purchase them at regular prices. It's a challenge to me ~ sort of "the look for less". When I get my home decorated the way I like it ( and on my shoestring budget) it makes me happy.
Okay, that being said, the vase that broke was special to me. However, After I had disposed of it, I let the attachment to it go. (it's very hard holding on to pieces of broken glass) Then an interesting thing happened the next week.
Let me back track for a minute. For several months I had been searching for an aqua blue glass vase for my bathroom. (to me this is known as "the quest"). I had even found the perfect vase, but it was way out of my budget. So one day I was at a Coldwater Creek (definitely NOT my budget) and happened to come across a beautiful aqua blue glass vase that was marked down from $40.00 to $5.99. Whoa ~ I asked the clerk to check the price again, yep $5.99. Of course it now graces my bathroom.
But here is the lesson I learned thoughout this whole experience: sometimes we have to let go of what we think is the "perfect" thing so that God can provide us with something even more special. We can do it gracefully, or we can do it kicking and screaming along the way. I am even taking it one step further; what else am I holding on to that I need to release? I am learning to create "breathing room" in my Life. From my closet to my bookshelves, from my dishes to my accessories, I am lightening up my life and making room for the blessings to follow. If my cup is too full of what I don't need (or what really doesn't serve me anymore ) how can I be blessed?~ I'm learning to let go of it. I am finding just like the vase, things are miraculously appearing in my life. it's a process that I find amazing, yet simple.
There is an old story about a monkey who is trying to get a banana out of a narrow vase. The monkey puts his hand into the vase, grabs the banana, then tries to pull it out. He can't pull his hand with the banana in it, back through the opening of the vase. Impatient, he struggles to win by holding on to the banana that much harder. Of course the moral of the story is that in order to have the banana, he has to release his grip on it. (if he tips it just right, it may fall out) I am learning to loosen my grip in a lot of areas of my life and it is refreshing. I still have a long way to go, but I know that I am learning new things everyday. Most important is that I learn that God is the one in control of my life.
Although I think that I am not a materialistic person, I constantly find myself connected to the things in my life. The material items are not really worth much monetarily speaking. (most have been purchased at really great deals at thrift stores or yard sales) but rather in the emotional attachment that I place on them. Perhaps that comes from my family losing all our possessions in a house fire when I was a child. Or perhaps it comes from the joy I get in finding the "perfect" accessory to complement my living space. You see, I consider my home "my nest" ~ it is my haven, my sanctuary. My home is a reflection of who I am, an extension of myself. When I come home after a long day, I find comfort & rest there. I live on very limited means, so the items I do have, eventually find a special place in my heart, because I know that I normally could not afford to purchase them at regular prices. It's a challenge to me ~ sort of "the look for less". When I get my home decorated the way I like it ( and on my shoestring budget) it makes me happy.
Okay, that being said, the vase that broke was special to me. However, After I had disposed of it, I let the attachment to it go. (it's very hard holding on to pieces of broken glass) Then an interesting thing happened the next week.
Let me back track for a minute. For several months I had been searching for an aqua blue glass vase for my bathroom. (to me this is known as "the quest"). I had even found the perfect vase, but it was way out of my budget. So one day I was at a Coldwater Creek (definitely NOT my budget) and happened to come across a beautiful aqua blue glass vase that was marked down from $40.00 to $5.99. Whoa ~ I asked the clerk to check the price again, yep $5.99. Of course it now graces my bathroom.
But here is the lesson I learned thoughout this whole experience: sometimes we have to let go of what we think is the "perfect" thing so that God can provide us with something even more special. We can do it gracefully, or we can do it kicking and screaming along the way. I am even taking it one step further; what else am I holding on to that I need to release? I am learning to create "breathing room" in my Life. From my closet to my bookshelves, from my dishes to my accessories, I am lightening up my life and making room for the blessings to follow. If my cup is too full of what I don't need (or what really doesn't serve me anymore ) how can I be blessed?~ I'm learning to let go of it. I am finding just like the vase, things are miraculously appearing in my life. it's a process that I find amazing, yet simple.
There is an old story about a monkey who is trying to get a banana out of a narrow vase. The monkey puts his hand into the vase, grabs the banana, then tries to pull it out. He can't pull his hand with the banana in it, back through the opening of the vase. Impatient, he struggles to win by holding on to the banana that much harder. Of course the moral of the story is that in order to have the banana, he has to release his grip on it. (if he tips it just right, it may fall out) I am learning to loosen my grip in a lot of areas of my life and it is refreshing. I still have a long way to go, but I know that I am learning new things everyday. Most important is that I learn that God is the one in control of my life.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Growing Pains
Remember having growing pains as a child? Mine usually happened in my legs, and even though the pain was uncomfortable, I told myself that it was worth it ~ because I was growing, and that was exciting!
Now as an adult, it's harder to recognize that the painful situations, relationships and events I have experienced are actually things causing me to grow.
When I am in the middle of a crisis, the easiest thing to do is start looking for an emergency exit & find the quickest way to escape. However, many times I have found no exit, no relief, and definitely no escape. Sometimes I am forced to endure emotional and/or physical pain, without understanding the reason why. It is ony after I have come through a situation that I begin to see the lesson I have learned, and the growth that has come out of it.
Growth can be on many different levels; emotional, physical, or even spiritual.
Many times I do not recognize the fact that I am growing until after I look back I see that I chose to react or respond in an entirely different way than I use to. I may not recognize my daily growth until I am once again challenged to see if I have indeed learned the necessary lesson at hand. I find it amazing that the chinese word for crisis is the same one as opportunity.
There is one thing I can say that I now recognize and that is that I realize I cannot change people, situations, or events. There are things that will happen to me beyond my control; however the one thing that IS within my power ( or control) is the ablility to choose how I react or respond to people, situations and unforseen events in my life. Now just because I recognize this fact doesn't mean that I always react or respond in the positive way I know I should, however, I am learning to accept responsibility for the choices I make.
I am recognizing that I don't have to respond from an emotional place; fear, anger, insecurity, etc. Unfortunately, sometimes I still do. But at least now I am recognizing the emotion that is fueling my response. For me that is a big Wow! It is one of my "adult growing pain" moments so to speak.
Recently I heard someone ask a group of people where they were in their growth. The choices were stuck, struggling or striding. I'm not sure if I can say that I'm "striding", however, I'm not exactly stuck either. I would say that there are areas in which I still struggle ~ but I am definitely "striving" to be better than I was last year. For me, that is growth. I am not where I want to be, but I am certainly not where I use to be either. I am going forward and growing, one step at a time.
Now as an adult, it's harder to recognize that the painful situations, relationships and events I have experienced are actually things causing me to grow.
When I am in the middle of a crisis, the easiest thing to do is start looking for an emergency exit & find the quickest way to escape. However, many times I have found no exit, no relief, and definitely no escape. Sometimes I am forced to endure emotional and/or physical pain, without understanding the reason why. It is ony after I have come through a situation that I begin to see the lesson I have learned, and the growth that has come out of it.
Growth can be on many different levels; emotional, physical, or even spiritual.
Many times I do not recognize the fact that I am growing until after I look back I see that I chose to react or respond in an entirely different way than I use to. I may not recognize my daily growth until I am once again challenged to see if I have indeed learned the necessary lesson at hand. I find it amazing that the chinese word for crisis is the same one as opportunity.
There is one thing I can say that I now recognize and that is that I realize I cannot change people, situations, or events. There are things that will happen to me beyond my control; however the one thing that IS within my power ( or control) is the ablility to choose how I react or respond to people, situations and unforseen events in my life. Now just because I recognize this fact doesn't mean that I always react or respond in the positive way I know I should, however, I am learning to accept responsibility for the choices I make.
I am recognizing that I don't have to respond from an emotional place; fear, anger, insecurity, etc. Unfortunately, sometimes I still do. But at least now I am recognizing the emotion that is fueling my response. For me that is a big Wow! It is one of my "adult growing pain" moments so to speak.
Recently I heard someone ask a group of people where they were in their growth. The choices were stuck, struggling or striding. I'm not sure if I can say that I'm "striding", however, I'm not exactly stuck either. I would say that there are areas in which I still struggle ~ but I am definitely "striving" to be better than I was last year. For me, that is growth. I am not where I want to be, but I am certainly not where I use to be either. I am going forward and growing, one step at a time.
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