They Know Who We Are

• By our eloquent prayers
• By our good works
• By never cursing
• By never drinking
• By never offending anyone

Today I must say that anyone in this world can be like this person I have described--heathen or believer alike. But what does the word of God tell us about how the world will know that we are Christ's disciples?

The first scripture that came to me was John 13:35 "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." Does that means to love that Christian brother or sister you had an argument with last week? YES. Or maybe it is a brother or sister in Christ you disagree with over some doctrine. YES again.

Luke 6:32 tells us we are not to just love those who love us, and Luke 6:27 tells is to love even our enemies!

Again I say yes. Even the world will know that when you are filled with the Love of Christ, the Holy Spirit gives you the grace to love the unlovely. He gives you the overwhelming love to love the sinner even though you hate their sin.

He gives you enough love to befriend a person who needs a helping encouraging hand. The Holy Spirit gives us enough love to go to a brother or sister in Christ, whom you are a friend with, and approach them in love regarding their short coming, their sin.

Now I want you to know those items listed above should be some of the fruit of a believer; however LOVE is the only fruit that can withstand the trials and weather any storm in all relationships.

1 Corinthians 12:3-7
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

That says it all for me. Lord I pray that I will display your love to others. That I like Jesus will endure all just because He first loved me. So what do you think? Got LOVE?

Babes

Mathew 18:3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

I woke up this morning thinking that our youngest child will be having her first baby. Ahh babes! I just love infants. They are so gentle, loving, and dependant. What I like best is that they are so dependent upon you for their care. What they eat, taking care of their cleanliness, feeding, etc. etc. Just the scent of an infant sends those feelings of love and joy through my being.

The joy of motherhood for me is to nurture and cuddly my babes in such a way they feel secure to grow into the individual that the Lord has entrusted us with. Oh, those toddler years, so brave and adventurous those babes become. They are unencumbered running about their small world attacking their day with joyful, fearless attempts to accomplish something brand new! When you call them, they run with open arms smiling, waiting for your loving embrace.

Mathew 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Yeah, now that I am thinking about all of that, I am sure that is how our loving Father wants us to be with him. He want us so unencumbered with our intellect and worldly matters that we can free fall into His arms and bravely follow any instruction that the Holy Spirit would give us.

Today I pray we become more like babes remaining in our Fathers loving embrace!

A Grateful Servant

Isaiah 49:3
He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor." (NIV)>

Since 1991, the year of my miraculous healing from Crohn's disease, life for me has been an extended gift. It was then I decided to dedicate my life to the Lord and the work He has for me.

Up to that point life revolved around acquiring things and providing comfort for and meeting our growing family's needs. Life seemed to be passing by without my giving a thought to my savior and His desire for me.

Along came the resurrection life and a zap to my mortal body. It caused a change in life style from a life focused on the world to a new life focused on Christ.

Grateful I live. I am grateful for the grace that has brought me thus far and grateful for the grace that will enable me to complete my race here on earth.

The world offered me a limited life with limited benefits. Grace has granted me the opportunity to be a servant of the Lord by serving others. The benefits are unlimited. I continue to count them today. Among those benefits are being able to watch our children grow into awesome adults and to be a part of our grandchildren's lives. It is also a benefit to share stories of Jesus and His love with our grandchildren, by living a long, loving, God centered life with my husband experiencing God moving in our lives and in the lives of others.

I could go on, but I will stop there. What things in your life do you have to be grateful for?

Take up Your Cross

As I was reading the dialog between Jesus and his Father in the garden, the Holy Spirit shed a light on what "our cross" means. Jesus the man cries out to the Father, "If possible, let this cup pass". (Matthew 26:39) The very next moment, in the same breath, Jesus finishes by saying, "not my will but yours".

John 12:27 is the punch line for me. It reads "I came to this hour in light of my purpose". The human Jesus dies to himself by leaving all earthly desires behind to face his Father's divine purpose for his life. He turns away to face his death on the cross.

Our cross is not the heavy burden as I was once led to believe. It is something light, fun, and easy to accomplish. Ah, the cross, therefore, is our divine purpose. It is that purpose the Father has for us to accomplish here on earth. Just think for a moment. Jesus told the fishermen to leave their nets and follow him. What an adventure they had learning, loving, and living with Jesus. They were living in their divine purpose.

So today I call upon the Father and say, "Have Your way with my life, using all for your benefit to advance the kingdom of God within me and those who you lead me to." This is the cross I carry. I am to listen and obey, sharing my life and declaring His love to others leaving my personal desires behind and keeping Him first.

What is the cross you carry to fulfill His divine purpose in your life? What are you letting go of so God can have His way with you?

Come Hungry

When I was first married, I remember going to Mom's for dinner. "Come hungry," she would say. And believe me we did come hungry. We ate and ate until we could not fit another bite in. Then to my surprise, there were the leftovers we did not expect to receive. WOW enough for another few days. Many nutritionists say that we become what we eat. And there is plenty to say about that statement.

Today the Lord is shouting to us "Come hungry"; there is plenty to eat and more than enough for you. He wants us to partake of His Spirit; to ingest and digest His word and become what He has called us to be. -More Love, More Power, More of His Word, More Compassion, More and more of Jesus. And we find out there is more for tomorrow and no need to gorge ourselves. It is like the manna He gave the Israelites. It was more than enough for today and more was always available for tomorrow, and all the days to come.

It is not until we are hungry do we appreciate being satisfied.

So here I am again, coming hungry. I am starving. I am famished for your infilling Lord. I am depleted, empty, and desperately waiting for God to move amongst us-anxiously and excitedly waiting for a manifestation of His love