Tag Archives: Salvation

Measure ~ Five Minute Friday

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Measuring Stick

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT) / Pixabay

“Compare measurements of an object over time”. This was one of the many new math standards my Second Graders had to master during their school year.  At first, I struggled to think of a way to help them achieve this goal, that is until an idea came, as often happens, in an unexpected way: the gift of an Amaryllis bulb! Every year at Christmas time my mom would send one of these fast growing plants to me for my classroom. I finally realized it was the perfect way for my kids to measure change!

What about us? How do we measure change over time? Oh, not physical growth, but more importantly, our spiritual growth! Do we compare ourselves with others to determine how we’re doing? Unfortunately, I know I’ve been guilty of doing just that! “Well”, I’d tell myself, “I have a long way to go to catch up with her but just look at me!  I’m towering over her!” Anyone else play that game?

“Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How Ignorant! 2 Corinthians 10:12 (NLT)

Looking at others as our standard gives us an unrealistic view of where we are, how far we’ve come, and where we still need to go. The only thing actually being measured when we compare ourselves to those around us is our pride and Paul tells us quite clearly “how ignorant” doing that, really is! Instead we need to be focused on God’s standards and on growing to be more like Christ.

“This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children.  We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching.  We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” Ephesians 4:13-15 (NLT)

An Amaryllis starts as a dormant bulb but once placed in the soil, given water and light, it grows quickly. Buds form and soon burst open to reveal their inner beauty. It seems to happen almost over night!  Maturing spiritually however, is a much slower process. Like a bulb though, on our own our potential lies stagnant. The full measure of who we can truly become started with Jesus on the cross. When we are planted in His gift of salvation, receive the Living Water, and live in the Light of the Son, we begin to change over time. Inch by inch, day by day, challenge by challenge, grace upon grace we grow “in every way” to be more like Christ and soon our inner beauty, which is an overflowing of God’s love, is revealed to the world.

My students used their rulers to help them observe and compare the progress of our class plant. As we monitor our spiritual growth, we don’t have to worry about how we compare to others, instead we must examine how our lives align with God’s standards.  Thankfully, we can look to the life of Christ to guide us and help grow our faith and with confidence, know that He is the only measuring stick we’ll ever need!

Joining in (a little late) with the Five Minute Friday Community to write on the prompt “Measure”. I know there will be many wonderful posts on this subject.  If you’d like to read more just click on over to http://www.fiveminutefriday.com

 

 

Better ~ Five Minute Friday

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Linking up with the talented writers over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com where the idea is to write for five minutes to a given prompt. I love writing to a prompt! Sticking to five minutes? Not so much.  I always try but usually don’t stop. But it’s the first post in 2019 and I’m ready to give it another go!

Time starts now!

The Better Story

“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!’ ” John 20:27 (NLT)/ Pixabay

Rain had been coming down for what seemed like weeks.  It sure didn’t feel like it was only a few days before Christmas, but the calendar told a different story. Of course, there was lots I still needed to get done and in my attempt to check things off my list, I was rushing here and there. You know what can happen when you’re in a hurry, don’t you? Without warning my feet flew completely out from under my body and Wham! I found myself unexpectedly sprawled out on the wet sidewalk! Thankfully, nothing was broken so I slowly returned to my upright position.  Pain accompanied me each step of the way as I completed the stops I had yet to make. It wasn’t until arriving home and taking off my jacket that I realized my elbow had taken the brunt of the fall. The evidence was bright red on the sleeve of my shirt.

I didn’t have time for stitches! It wasn’t on my agenda! Still, there I was with my arm propped up on a shiny silver table while skilled hands kindly put me back together. It didn’t take long for bruises to appear, muscles to protest, and a sense of gratitude to set in; as I realized I’d been spared a worse fate.

I’m much better now! Dark purple splotches** have faded to yellowish-green and pain from many pulled muscles has diminished. Where stitches once were woven into my skin, a scar now remains. A scar that will to me, always serve as a reminder and a prompt to the story….”remember the Christmas when I not so gracefully laid spread out on the sidewalk and shed blood in an attempt to give my all to a to-do list?”

We’ve all had wounds that left scars to tell stories of our lives. But, isn’t it amazing that there is One whose wounds and scars save our lives?

“He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)

Jesus shed his blood, gave his all, so that I could be healed. You could be healed. Because of God’s grace, Jesus took the brunt of the fall of man, spreading his arms out on the cross and taking our sins with him. Our dark splotches become white, our pain diminishes, and where we’d once been bound by sin, He now remains. His scars become ours to bear. They serve as a reminder to each of us to tell the story.  His story. The better story! The one with a happy ending. The story that fills us with such gratitude when we realize that we’ve been spared a much worse fate. It’s a story that’s meant to be shared again and again, because it gets better and better every time it’s told!

 

 

Story ~ Day 1 ~ 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes

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This post is part of the October 2018 Edition of 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes. I hope you”ll join me in seeing where each prompt takes us.
 P.S. Just so you know, I’m finding it difficult to stick to five minutes (**) and it may take me longer than the 31 days to finish all the prompts. Not easy for this rule follower!
You can read more 31 Days entries at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com

 

“Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story-those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,” Psalm 107:2 (NIV) / Pixabay

A Story to Tell

If you know me or have read enough of my ramblings here, you might guess that I love to tell a story and you’d be right!  With the tone of my voice, facial expressions, and just the right words, it brings me joy to draw a listener away from the real world and into the tale I’ve created for them. Focusing on the faces of those looking back at me with wonder, spurs me on; and before you know it, I’m not only speaking with my voice, but my hands have become involved in telling the story, too. Sometimes I can say more with my hands than I do with my mouth.  With a wave, a thumbs up, a fist, a clap: a storyteller’s hands can speak volumes and help bring what’s being said to life! Continue reading →

Potential in Little ~ Five Minute Friday

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It’s Five Minute Friday time!  Yay!  Today’s prompt is a hopeful one! It’s “Potential”.  I know there are going to be great thoughts shared over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com so don’t miss out.  Just click on over and soak it all in!

“It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” Mark 4:31-32 (NIV) / Pixabay

I love when this happens! You know: when things just unexpectedly fall into place. My husband has a calendar of church sign sayings and last night he brought this one home to me:

“Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed.”

My response was that it was a good one and I hoped I’d be able to use it sometime. It never occurred to me that “sometime” would be now, but when Kate revealed that the prompt for today is “Potential”, this church sign saying immediately came to mind. I’d call that a “God Wink” wouldn’t you?

Go back and read the saying again.  Let it settle in. God knows how many apples a tiny seed will produce! Stop and ponder on that for a moment….a small seed grows into a tree.  The tree produces fruit; not just once but season after season for its lifetime! Amazing isn’t it? There’s potential within that little seed for harvests that will nourish generation after generation!

And isn’t that exactly what God does? Finds potential in little.

“His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied.  Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.” Matthew 15: 33-37 (NIV)

Potential in little.  The disciples were panicked when Jesus suggested they feed the more than five thousand people around them.  They looked at the small amount they had and saw impossibility.  Jesus however, looked upon the meager offering and saw a nourishing feast that would be talked about for generation after generation.

Jesus also taught lessons about the mustard seed. He used the smallest of all seeds on earth as an example to His disciples and to us, that great things can come from tiny beginnings; not just a large, strong plant, but the great harvest in the Kingdom of Heaven and our “mountain moving” faith.

How often do we shrink from doing something, something maybe God is calling us to do, because we feel too insignificant to make a difference or that what we have to offer just isn’t enough? I know I have more times than I’d like to admit. The truth is, on our own we are lacking; but with God our insufficiency is a seed with the potential to bear fruit for our lifetime!

Yes, God can count the apples in a seed, provide a banquet using a snack, and even see beyond our small grain of faith to what it will one day become.  So, the next time you or I feel we don’t measure up to His call, let’s remind ourselves that our God is a God of possibility. After all, He IS the one who sent a tiny baby to save the whole world!  His Perfect Potential in little.

 

Rush to Save

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Time Flies! Life moves at warp speed it seems.  We rush here. We rush there. But, what are we rushing after?  Join us today at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com to read all the thoughts on the prompt, “Rush”.

Back in the early 90’s (a time when bangs and plaid were obviously popular) my sisters and I got together on every Black Friday to shop till we dropped. Back then, it was the only time stores had big sales and so on Thanksgiving night we’d sit on the floor with all the ads spread out around us looking for the items on our Christmas wish lists. Once we knew where to find the lowest prices it was time to make our game plan which usually went a little like this: Donuts, shop, lunch, shop, cookies, shop, drop.(HaHa! Food played an important part in these shopping trips-extra energy, you know!) With little sleep, we’d rise bright and early Friday morning and having our checkbooks, coupons, and lots of coffee in hand, we’d rush out the door to find the best deals of the day!

The game plans to save have changed a little since the days of our sisters’ shopping trips.  Now, tents are set up outside stores as customers line up to be the first ones to claim their item at a lower price.  Some people drive extra miles to save a few cents on gasoline while others search the internet for coupon codes before they shop. We’re drawn to a “lowest prices of the season” sale like moths to a light and removing that sticker to reveal “30% off” encourages us to buy more since we’re saving so much!

It’s true. We are dedicated to saving these days and sometimes it makes it easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest deals the world offers, too. Buy this and you will look better, do this and you’ll finally feel like yourself, or try this and your problems will seem to disappear. Sound familiar? (Think slithery voice) Yes, the world tries to sell us on ways to save…..save ourselves, that is.

  “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved……For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:4-5,8-9 (NIV) 

So the next time we find ourselves flitting from one sales tactic of the world to another or making a game plan to save ourselves before we drop, we need to remember Black Friday. Not the day after Thanksgiving, but rather the Friday when darkness fell across the whole land as Jesus was crucified for you and me. When we rush to the One who saved us, we receive the best deal of our lives (it’s free), no one can beat His offer (His life), and His saving benefits are beyond compare (forgiveness of our sins).  And the best thing? There are no returns (we’re His eternally)! Let’s not let the world sell us on anything less!

 

 

 

Oh Eve, What Have You Done? ~ Five Minute Friday

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These thoughts have been tumbling around in my head since a friend and I talked about how many years we’ve been doing chores we don’t like to do.  For some reason, mopping floors, matching socks, and putting groceries away are jobs I don’t enjoy.  What are yours? Anyway, the prompt for today is “Done” at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com and this title just popped into my mind and so here we go:

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit y itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 (NIV) / Pixabay

Oh Eve, What Have You Done?

Have you ever stopped and thought of
All we wouldn’t do today
If it wasn’t for old Eve
Following her own selfish way?

Menu plans and grocery stores
Not used for our family to feed;
The garden would have provided
Everything we’d need.

Pills, shots, and doctor bills
Wouldn’t subtract from our wealth.
Living where God intended us to be
We’d stay in perfect health.

No ironing. No mopping.
No chores at all to bear.
In Eden, there’d be nothing to scrub
Or the need to wash what we wear.

Disappointment, pain, and grief,
Failure, sin, and strife.
Never part of God’s perfect place
Her forbidden bite brought them to life.

Without a doubt I know,
In my heart this to be true:
We’re not so different Eve and I
In all we say and do.

Way to often I listen to
That cold, slithery voice
Offering up tasty bait
And I bite at the wrong choice.

Full of shame, fear and guilt
I run for a leaf and hide.
I deserve to be kept from the Garden
Because of my own pride.

Yes, once Eve bit the apple,
It couldn’t be undone.
Banned from the Garden forever,
The serpent thought he’d won.

But God had another plan;
His Son died for our sin.
He’s opened up the Garden gate
For all to enter in.

Today like Eve, we have a choice
Take a bite or abstain.
Will you follow after the viper
Or with the Gardener remain?

What You Do

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“Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path. Proverbs 23:19 (NIV) / Pixabay

What You Do

What is it that you do
When Jesus calls your name,
To step in deeper waters
Where you’ll never be the same?

What is it that you do
When He knocks at your door
Beckoning to enter in
And change your life once more?

What is it that you do
When God meets you on the road
Giving new direction
Offering help with your load?

What is it that you do
When you see Him on a tree
Realizing without a doubt
He died for you and me?

Answer yes!
Invite Him In!
Follow His lead! .
 Repent of your sin!

That is what you do
When for Him you want to live.
He’s asking for one thing, my friend
Our hearts to Him we give

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Love’s Release ~ Five Minute Friday

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I’m doing double duty today.  Not only is it day three of the Poetry challenge; it’s also Friday!  Today’s prompt is “Release” in celebration of the release of Kate Motaung’s (the founder of Five Minute Friday) book called “A Place to Land”! I’ll tell you more about this wonderful memoir very soon. So here’s my attempt at once again, joining Poetry and Five Minute writing together.  To read more great posts on “Release” go to http://www.fiveminutefriday.com

“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” 1 Peter 1: 18-19 / Pixabay

R oll away your stone of doubt.

E xit your tomb of fear.

L oosen your hold on crippling guilt.

E scape the chains of the world and

A ccept the hope and freedom of

S weet forgiveness,

E ternally ours through the One, who out of love, paid it all.

Tell ~ 2/31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes

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I’ve had a bit of writing anxiety lately which has caused me to literally avoid looking at my lap top. (Out of sight. Out of mind. Or so I thought.)  I’ve found though, that writing is a part of who I am and I really miss it, so…. I have decided to join in on the 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com

Each day in October I’ll write for five minutes on a given prompt.  This is mostly an unedited style of writing  that I’m sure will challenge this “recovering perfectionist”; but hopefully in a good way! Please pray that I won’t quit, I’ll have fun, and that I’ll learn more about myself, writing, and my relationship with God. I’d love for you to follow along with me on this journey! Better yet, join in!

Here I go….Time Starts Now!

 

“Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation.” Joel 1:3 (NLT)

What do your hands tell about you?  Mine have become wrinkled and covered in age spots.  My fingers are not as straight or limber as they used to be.  It’s not surprising though, these hands have worked, nurtured, loved, disciplined, applauded, and wrung in worry.  They tell the story of my life.

There are hands however, that have saved my life!  The hands of Jesus.  Pierced by nails as he hung on the cross dying for my sins.  Those precious hands tell the story of salvation and the greatest love there is!

My hands won’t ever tell a story like that, but I can! Lately,  I’ve been thinking a lot about the kind of witness I am to all God has done in my life.  I need and hope to be more willing to share  my journey of Grace with others.  Hands down, it’s the most important story I have to tell!

Times up!

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Pierced

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image

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. “ Isaiah 53:5

For me, one sure sign of spring are the daffodils in my yard that burst forth each year from the dormant earth and open their petals like little faces lifted to the sun.  I anticipate their arrival and wonder at their simple beauty.  I found the daffodil pictured above while still in bud, laying flat on the ground. A victim of a neighborhood dog I suspect. As Paul Harvey used to say “Now, for the rest of the story”….  I couldn’t just leave it there, so I cut its stem and lifted it from its makeshift grave.  On closer inspection I realized that in the process of being beaten down and crushed, a pine needle had pierced the tender blossom.  I didn’t have much hope for the bruised and punctured bud to bloom but I removed the needle, took the limp flower in and put it in a vase of water anyway.  Much to my surprise, a few short hours later what was once a seemingly lifeless bud had lifted its head and spread its petals to become the flower you see in the picture, the flower it was meant to be.  It may seem silly but it brought me such a sense of joy to see what was once left for dead to now be full of life and beauty!  As I admired that daffodil, I noticed the holes in the delicate petals left behind by the piercing it had endured, and for a moment I just stood there, breathless….staring……it was as if the blinds in my heart and mind had been lifted and the “Son” was brightly shining in.  I had no idea that when I bent down to pick up a fallen daffodil, my sign of spring and renewal, it would so vividly remind me that Jesus was beaten, bruised, and pierced.  He was then put in a makeshift grave left for dead. Just a few short days later He lifted his head, walked out of the tomb, and spread His arms to show the holes in His nail pierced hands. Jesus, risen and full of life and beauty had endured the unthinkable for one reason and one reason only, so that you and I can be renewed and become the people we were meant to be.  The miracle of Easter shown to me through a daffodil.  Hallelujah!  And now you know the rest of the story……..

Pierced

Put on a cross

Innocence ignored

Endured torture and pain

Ridiculed

Cursed

Encumbered by my sin

Died so that I may live