Feb 23, 2007

Travel on over

I have a new website now... So come over Here


Blessings

Feb 21, 2007

Ash Wednesday


Today begins the season of Lent.....

A time of reflection... A time of repentance... a time of renewal...

This season... will we look closely at the Cross for it to reveal God's plan instead of our own?

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18

Blessings,
Connie

Feb 20, 2007

When The Rain Comes


As I look outside this morning, it looks like rain. Dreary. It resembles my life lately. Cloudy, dark, uncertain.

Broken would best describe it...

My friend, Bruce,,, he says,"You are in a good place." Not what you want to hear when you are hurting. As a matter of fact, I think I threatened his life a few times. But I do trust what he says.

But today, I just sit and smell it... The rain...The unperfumed pureness of my Father reminding me that His rain falls on us all.. those who love God and those who have rejected Him. Those hurting, those who are broken.

All of us. Reminding us of His promise of love.

"...... I have called you by by your name, you are mine. You are precious in my eyes, because you are honored and I love you..."
(Isaiah 43:1)



Beloved children of our Abba

Blessings,
Connie

Feb 17, 2007

Embracing God

(Exodus 34:29) "....he was not aware his face was radiant...."

What is it like to embrace God? To touch God? To see God?

Friday I experienced God in such an intimate way. I felt Him, I held Him, I loved Him.

I had the opportunity to spend some time with Ivey Sirmans (www.iveysirmans.blogspot.com)God's precious princess. As I held her close to me, she used her face to feel my face and her hands to embrace me. She smelled so sweet, so innocent. One of God's wonders, God's gifts as her mom and dad have called her.

Her love, her sincerity was so pure, it could only be that of our Abba.

I can only imagine that when we stand before the Throne, that our Father will embrace us with His face and His hands as He embraces us. And the sweet smell of His love.

Blessings,
Connie

Feb 16, 2007

What's New

(2 Corinthians 12:9-10) "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

I started a "new" life when my divorce became final. I would never live the life I had known for the those 12 years.

One of my nurses started a "new" path when the doctors recently announced her unborn daughter had a major heart defect.

One of my dear friends started a "new" life when the doctors told her "We did all we could to save your little boy."

A life of "new" doesn't mean it's something improved but something we have never experienced before.

It can mean we are lonely, weary, empty, frustrated, hurting, hopeless, fearful or discouraged.

And during these times, reasoning with someone will be almost impossible.

That is when we have to call on God's Words, because at this time in our life, nothing else makes sense.

This is when we hold onto "My grace is enough; it's all you need." This is when you "Let Christ take over."

And so the weaker you become, the brighter the light as our Lord's love shines through the torn and battered worn out places in our life.....

Blessings...
Connie

Feb 15, 2007

Held in A Mighty Storm


(Psalm 93:4) "Mightier than the thunder of the greater waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea---the Lord on high is mighty."

As I look at life now, it isn't easy. It is downright hard, unbearable at times. Some days I wonder how I can make one foot go in front of the other. I'm sure we all have those times, when God walks us through a mighty storm!?!

When I was young, I loved to sit on the rocks by the ocean in the Florida Key's close to a place where I grew up and embrace God's creation. Some of my fondest memories were watching the waves crash down on the rocks as the storms were brewing out in the horizon.

The sea would begin to boil over as the sky turned black. The winds were relentless. And I would feel the sting against my face as the water mist rode with the winds. It was absolutely wonderful and terrifying at the same time.

As I tried to make it back home, I remember thinking I was a mighty small figure in the big force of nature. I felt like the winds could pick me up and carry me away at any time. Looking back it was pretty awesome to know that the Lord held me tightly in His hands.

Many of us experiences these storms at some time during our life. You may be experiencing a storm in your life right now. You, too, may feel like the circumstances may pick you up and carry you away at any given moment.

But isn't it wonderful to know that you are held tightly in the hands of God?

Such a small figure... And such a mighty God!!

Blessings
Connie

Feb 13, 2007

Happy Valentine's Day

(Galatians 2:20) "...the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

Feb 10, 2007

Are You In The Midst Of A Storm?



Let Jesus Calm Your Storm!

Have a Supernatural weekend....

Connie

Feb 9, 2007

Abba's Child




"I came to see that it was in my brokenness, in my powerlessness, in my weakness that Jesus was made strong. It was in my acceptance of my lack of faith that God could give me faith. It was in the embracing of my brokenness that I could identify with others' brokenness. It was my role to identify with others' pain, not relieve it. Ministry was sharing, not dominating; understanding, not theologizing; caring, not fixing."

Abba's Child--- Brennan Manning

Blessings
Connie

Feb 8, 2007

Boy Are You Gonna Be In Time-Out!

(Galatians 2:21) "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

I am so frustrated. I can't do anything right. I give up. I don't know why God even bothers with me.

Do you ever feel this way? I sure do lately.

I was sharing with my friend, Brian some time ago about how discouraged I was over some issues in my life and how I didn't feel like I was living up to God's expectations. He then said to me, "What!! A Christian who fails? Say it ain't so; you should be reported to the Highest Authority; you wait until I tell Peter and Moses, boy are you gonna be in "Time-out."

I had to laugh. He was right. And praised God for those men and women of the Bible that had true hearts for God, that they were just like me, just like us, and carried human tendencies. But God honored their passion not perfection.

Daily, I have to remind myself that I cannot do this on my own and that I do need Jesus after all; otherwise, as in Galations, Christ would have died for nothing.

And as another one of my friends, Bruce says, "It's not perfection, it's direction" that really matters.

Blessings
Connie

Feb 7, 2007

The Rain Is Over

A few years ago, I had the privilege of hearing Brennan Manning speak at Berry College, my hometown. Mr. Manning is the author of Ragamuffin and Abba's Child. If you have not read those books, I strongly encourage you.

This devotional today comes from one of his sermons. I only hope I can do it justice.

I know many of us have lost loved ones. I have a friend that lost her daughter and in her dying moments, her daughter spoke over and over the name, "Jesus." I hope this devotional will bring comfort to all those that have experienced the "Valley of the shadow of death."

During the last minutes of the Cross, what happened to Jesus that caused Him total despair, "Abba, Abba, why have you forsaken Me?" To one of anticipation and total abandoned love "Into Your hands I commit My spirit."... "It is finished!"?

Brennan Manning Shared an experience with us. As a Priest, he stood by a dying leper woman. In her last hours, she said, "Brennan, Jesus has called me home. Today is the day."

Brennan asked her what Jesus had said to her and this is what she told him:

"My beloved responded and said to me,
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along.
For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.
The Fig tree has ripened its figs,
And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!
Oh my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret place of the steep pathway,
Let me see your form,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your form is lovely." (Song of Solomon 2:10-14)

Brennan recognized the beautiful words from Song of Solomon... Later, what astounded him was that this woman was totally illiterate. She had never read the Bible. But she had just recited these verses word for word.

As the leper woman was called home within hours of talking to Brennan, her last words spoke were the name, "Jesus", as she was carried into the Heavens, she was embraced with hugs from her Abba, brushed with kisses that would be forever.

As Jesus was called home, to His Abba, what changed? He heard His Papa calling Him.

"Arise, My Darling, My beautiful One,
and come along.
For behold, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone...."

Jesus now, too, is embraced in the love of His Abba....

All so that we would know Him...

And the last words spoken were,,,, "Jesus".....

Have a blessing of a day.
Connie

Feb 6, 2007

Angel In The Block

"...being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.." (Philippians 1:6)

Both of my parents and two of my children are gifted in art. They can look at a canvas and before long a beautiful masterpiece has been created. They knew all along how their work would turn out but as a spectator I just watch in amazement as the work is revealed in a slow, sometimes painstaking way.

Michelangelo lingered before a rough block of marble so long that his companion remonstrated. In reply, Michelangelo said with enthusiasm, "There's an angel in that block and I"m going to liberate him!" Oh, what abounding love would manifest itself in us toward the most unloveable--the most vile--if only--if only we saw what they might become, and in our enthusiasm for souls we cried out, "There's the image of Christ--marred,scarred, well-nigh obliterated--in that dear fellow, and I"m going to make that man conscious of it." (Author unknown -- book, His Victorious Indwelling)

In God's perfection, the only painstaking process is when we try to help Him.

Maybe we should leave the strokes of God's hand to Him as He reveals the beauty of Himself through us.

Praise God and all His beauty.

For their is an angel in the block..........

It's you,,, beloved...
Connie

Feb 5, 2007

Is There A Great Storm Brewing?

(Psalm 23:5) Msg. "You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing."

The one thing I remember about growing up at the beach was the storms. I would wonder where all the creatures would hide during these storms. I wondered what they thought during the storms. I'm sure that they took shelter and protected their young. Isn't that our nature?

After the storms, it was always exciting to me to walk the beach because the ocean would leave behind a banquet of surprises for the birds and creatures living around the sea. I would watch the birds fly down and grab a delicacy of new food left after the storm. Crabs would grab its meal of a jellyfish that had washed ashore and scurry back into its hole. All of God's creatures were living out of this feast.

In the same sense, I too have experienced storms in my life. I have been left torn apart by these storms, part of my life thrown all over the place. And I wondered why. What good could come of this? But it was out of these storms that the greatest riches were left behind to feed me for a lifetime, for it is in that brokenness that continues to lead me to Christ each and every day. Here is where I seek shelter. And I now feast only on His Word.

Just as with Noah, after this biggest storm in history, he had a new beginning. We too can have a new beginning. If a storm has come into your life, you can feast on the reminiscence of the storm and find your shelter in Christ.

Let each day be a new beginning. And feast on His Word.

Is there a great storm brewing?

Connie

Feb 3, 2007

This Weekend

Rest in Our Abba's Arms

Feb 2, 2007

Are You A Lighthouse?

"Jesus said, " I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

I love lighthouses. There is something very special about them. As a child, growing up around the ocean, I was enamored by the stories of lighthouses and how they helped guide the sailors and their ships through treacherous waters to safety.

I have a very dear friend that is a lighthouse to me. Several years ago, his beaming light shown in my life, giving me a path to follow where I would experiences God's grace, love and mercy as never before.

When we are in troubled waters, we can experience peace, strength, and guidance in knowing that God is there, wanting to show us the way. When we see a lighthouse beacon cast its wide circle of light, it can remind us of God's radiant love that surrounds us and embraces us. God invites us into the light that leads to everlasting life.

As Christians, we can be a lighthouse to those traveling through troubled waters.

Thanks Bruce,,,,, for being that lighthouse to me....on many occasions....

Connie

Feb 1, 2007

A Shallow Life

"....do all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31)

For someone who has led a pretty turbulent life, I tend to become uneasy when there is a sense of silence in my life. Whether it is spiritual or just life in general. And in that silence I find myself seeking God more than ever, as if looking for my child that has been quiet for too long. It appears as if my life has become too shallow when I am only going through the daily "humdrums" of life.

But it occurred to me that we can't tread the deep waters all the time or we would become worn out spiritually and physically.

To be shallow at times is not a sign of weakness---and does not indicate we do not have depth within our souls.

Even the Ocean has a shore....

And it is on that shore, the shallow part of a wide vast of beauty, that I sometimes walk for endless hours, where my Abba speaks His most intimate Words to me.

Blessings
Connie

Jan 31, 2007

A Mosaic Piece

".. He is the image and glory of God..." (1Corinthians 11:7)

One of my favorite pieces of furniture is a mosaic table. Whoever made this beautiful table, took many broken pieces from what once was a whole piece of tile or plate. The artist actually broke a plate or piece of tile to use the pieces for their art piece.

Doesn't that sound a lot like our Christian lives? We start out whole but somewhere along life's journey, the world chips away at us, breaking us into little pieces. Sometimes, our Maker may even chip away at us to make us more like the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

It is God who designs those pieces together for His glory. Pieces of my life, pieces of your life into a beautiful design to create an awesome art piece for the world to experience, so that the world may desire that same beauty for their own lives.

We are more useful to God broken and shattered, brought together as one as God intended all along to make us into a beautiful mosaic piece.

Blessings...
Connie

Jan 29, 2007

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

(Psalm 4:8) "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. "

When I was but a young baby, I was born calm, responsive to those that brought me into the world and cared for me. I sought affection and in return gave it, I was loyal, I was friendly and I loved unconditionally.

As I grew, I never expected the world to be any different. But it was. It challenged my foundation. And I began to learn to protect my heart and myself.

Can you relate? Because some of us made it, some of us didn't. We all have different masks that protect the real us. Heaven forbid someone would know what was behind the mask. What would they think? They might see that we are scared, lonely and weak.

And then one day, we begin to forget who we really are. We have lived behind the mask for so long. "Who am I?" Something in our life happens and God allows it. It threatens to reveal the truth behind the mask. To expose us. We can only run for so long.


The creature (aka the mask) has begun to expect too much from us, more than we can give. We have grown weary. We have nursed this creature late into the night and its hour has come. We have leaned on its beauty and strength, but in its moment it broke. We have gone to the stream so that it may refresh us, but it has all dried up. All its goodness has gone. Its purpose has come and disappeared into the night.
Like a roaring lion that never sleeps, seeking to devour its prey, ruling his kingdom, his time has come and his time has gone. He's full and now looks to fine rest.

It's time to let our Abba show you life without your mask. Without the Creature. Without the Lion.

As the Lion sleeps tonight.

Find rest in your Abba…..

Connie

Jan 26, 2007

A Second Chance

(Luke 16:27-28) "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment."

How many times have you done something and said, "I wished I could do that over? I wished I could go back to the minutes before this or that happened and change the outcome." We have all been there. Especially when the event was tragic and we wish we could change the course of time.

Sometimes we are given a second chance to make a difference, maybe even a third. If we are smart, we won't let those opportunities slip by us.

Our precious Savior came to give us that second chance but there are many people still thinking they will always have time to make a decision. I can do that tomorrow. But we know tomorrow never comes.

Do we want to be like the Rich Man missing his chance at tomorrow? You have a promise of today and that is all unless you have Jesus.

And then you have Forever…..

Have A Supernatural Weekend…..
Connie

Jan 24, 2007

Do The Storms Rock Your Boat?

(Luke 8:24) Msg "...and He fell asleep. A terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were about to capsize. They woke Jesus: "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"

We see the "Works of the Father" all around us. We witness Christ in the lives of others. We even experience, live and breath Him in our own lives. But when disaster hits, we panic. Yes, we think God has fallen asleep and forsaken us.

The disciples were use to Jesus working wonders all around them but when the time came to rescue them from their own disaster, they lost focus for a period of time. They began to rely on their own abilities.

"I can really do this on my own" and we do for a while… but then the boat begins to rock from the storm that come our way, the winds start to pick up, the waters begin to fill the boat and we finally cry out "Master, I am drowning--help me!"

It is then that I, just as the disciples did, pocket my pride and humble myself before my Lord.

It is then my Lord, rises and says, "Silence". It is there the storms obey. The winds die and the water ceases.

It is there that I can find rest.

Blessings….
Connie

Jan 23, 2007

WORKS OF THE FATHER

(Matthew 6:1-4) Msg "Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding. When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure—'playactors' I call them— treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out."

"Mama, Mama watch me!" And then our children would perform. "Mama, Mama watch me!" Again, I would watch the same performance. You know this scene. Anyone with children has seen this, heard this and experienced this many times.

We are performing for our parents but also for those around us. We want them to see us. We want the attention. As we grow up, that part of us really never changes, does it? We still seek recognition, we just learn to hide it and be a little cooler about it.

When Jesus came to do His works, changing water into wine, healing the sick, making the blind see and so on, He never said, "Oh look at these great miracles I have performed." No, Jesus never used the word "Miracle." Jesus always referred to what He did as the "Works of His Father." He always directed the attention away from Himself and onto His Father.

How are we supposed to do that? By keeping our eyes on our Heavenly Father, dancing for only One. When you forget about the world around you and live for only Him, nothing else really matters. It will be like staring into the eyes of your lover.

Remember our rewards are not of this place but of our eternal home…….

Blessings………


(Prayer request-- one of my sweet potato queens (a group of us girls that get together often) is in surgery as you are reading this for a tumor on her brain, I guess that makes it a brain tumor but the other way sounded a little better… her name is Pam…. Please lift her up in prayer….)

Jan 22, 2007

HALF BAKED

(John 12:25) - "In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal." (MSG)

My kids love brownies. That is their favorite dessert or "Momma's comfort food". Many times when I am fixing them up a batch the kids will harass me, "how much longer" or "Oh, come on, we know they are done, let us have them now." On occasions I have succumb to their cries.

In doing so, the brownies have usually turned out to be not quite fully baked, gooey and not really fit to eat. Even putting them back into the oven doesn't work well. I should have been patient and left the brownies in the oven.

I think we are a lot like that in our Christian faith. We start pleading with God to help us in a situation. We don't want to wait or walk through a situation. We want results NOW. "Come on Father, please, now." And you know what, I "think" sometimes our Abba will grant our wish. Why? I think it's an important lesson He may want us to see so that in the bigger situations or in the next batch, we might be willing to wait with our Abba. We don't want another gooey batch in our life.

Next time when asking for the comfort food of our Abba, wait for the fully baked.

Blessings……...
Connie

Jan 19, 2007

God Show Me How to Pray

To Mom, Love......

"We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on Him,…" (Isaiah 53:6) Msg

When I was young, I remember a time that I had stepped in to protect my sister. As the oldest, it was my responsibility to watch out for Lynn. Kind of funny, I might deck her but no one else could! Anyway, there was a boy in the neighborhood that was harassing her over a situation that my sister had caused so I stepped in and told him that I had done whatever it was that he was accusing my sister of. I was diverting the situation from away my sister. I had intercepted the wrath.

I did it because I cared for my sister and did not want to see her hurt.

The boy talked big. He wanted a fight. But he was mostly all bark, so eventually he moved on and left my sister alone.

Christ came to stand in between His Fathers', our Fathers' wrath and our punishment for what we had done (living apart from God's will). Christ had chose to intercept the wrath for us because He cared and still cares for us and did not want to see us hurt nor see us perish. (Jn3:16)

In doing so, Satan became disarmed at the Cross but he still continues to roam the earth. He continues to tell the lies when we are down, when we are weak, at our most vulnerable state so we will listen. And he wraps it in a beautiful package that draws us in.

But we are given a choice of gifts, Satan’s (as I mentioned above) or Christ's -- the gift of love and the gift of grace; in such abundance. Can we not also extend that same grace, same love to one another? (1Jn 4:11)

Which gifts do you chose?

The greatest gifts I have ever received were wrapped in a crinkled up brown paper bag held together by tape, signed, "To Mom, Love……"

There is no greater love……….

Have a Supernatural weekend…..
Connie

Jan 18, 2007

The Second Birth

"Neither death, nor life . . . nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38 -39)

The other day I was sharing the birth of my son with him. I told him how at the moment he was born the doctor handed him over to me and I held onto him embracing him for the first time. I looked into his eyes and felt an immediate love so incredibly special. It was just like that when my daughter was born. The love was so overwhelming it cannot be put into words (I believe that when we are left speechless, it is a Heavenly experience). Tears flowed from my eyes, as my love spilled forth.

I love my children no matter how wonderful or how bad they are. They are my babies and I love them totally, 100% unconditionally.

When we enter into the Kingdom of God through Christ Jesus (the second birth--Jn3:3), He embraces us with a love so incredible, as well as unconditional, unlimited and complete, that nothing can separate us from this perfect love.

There may be times we don't feel worthy of that love, but that is within us not God. That is Satan trying to rob us of the only fight he has left. (Jn 10:10)

Isn't it comforting to know that we too have Someone that will share our hopes and dreams and still love us through our faults and shortcomings?

Our Abba wants the best for us and nothing will ever separate us from that love.

Have you experienced the second birth?

Blessings
Connie

Jan 17, 2007

And It Spread Like A Fire

(Matthew 13:33) Msg. "God's kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread—and waits while the dough rises."

Some times when I get up early in the mornings, I just like to sit and stare at the fireplace. I am mesmerized by the sound, the fragrance and the way the fire dances off the wood. It is amazing to me how a small fire can fill a room with radiance and even soothe my soul.

Before long I will hear the pitter-patter of feet from a room and soon one of our children will appear. No words will exchange, but they will climb up in my lap. They too have now been magically drawn into the beauty of the fire. We both sit and stare. It sings to us. All the room has remained silent as the fire performs her concert.

Christ came as a meek and lowly child. He mingled with us. Many were drawn to Him. Mesmerized by Him. Supernaturally drawn to Him. He did not come as some expected as a Mighty Warrior, not yet anyway.

A quiet revolution? No area of the earth will be untouched by His redemptive power.

In the end, He will rise again! In the twinkling of an eye.
(1 Cor15:52 )

Blessings
Connie

Jan 16, 2007

Let God Rewrite Your Story

(2 Samuel 22:25)"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes "

A little girl is born with no eyes so how will she see? She sees the world through the eyes of God. Her world is one of beauty and one of love. Ivey Sirmans shares her story through her mom. Never before have I heard such a story of love. Some would look at her story as sad, maybe you would look at her with such a disability but not Ivey's parents. Ivey is a gift. And God chose her parents specially because not many people could have appreciated Ivey like Gwen and Matt. Ivey is teaching the world how to live, how to love but most of all she is teaching us about God.
See Princess Ivey

Ashley was born and appeared to be normal at birth, but sometime into her very young life she started having problems. She became very sick. Her parents could have become very angry with God but they did not. They chose to thank God each day for her life. Ashley is teaching us of God's grace and mercy each and every day of her precious little life. Ashley almost died last night and her parents still praise God for each moment they have her. Ashley continues to teach us about God. Please pray for Ashley. See Ashley's Journal

We can let God become our eyes and our hearts if we let Him. We can let Him rewrite our life. (2 Sam 22:25)

What will your story be?

Blessings……
Connie

Jan 15, 2007

And The Red Seas Parted

(Joshua 1:9) The Message "Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take."
(Revelation 3:7-8) "Write this to Philadelphia, to the Angel of the church. The Holy, the True—David's key in his hand, opening doors no one can lock, locking doors no one can open—speaks: I see what you've done. Now see what I've done. I've opened a door before you that no one can slam shut. You don't have much strength, I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn't deny me when times were rough. "

I always hear and I have even said it myself, "God will open doors" to the paths He directs me. I don't think that has ever been a problem. The problem comes in; do I have the courage to walk through the door?

What is behind the door? What am I afraid of? That is it, isn't it? Fear! Fear of the unknown.
Remember when Moses was running from Pharaoh? Moses finally ran until he reached the Rea Sea and he couldn't run anymore. God said, "Keep moving." Moses thought God has lost it. But you know, God is into this whole dramatic thing, that way there is no doubt who gets the glory. And you know the rest, the sea parted, and Moses and his people walked through. His door was opened. But what if he hadn't trusted God?

How many "what if's" are there in our own lives?

What are you going through right now in your own life? Divorce? Addiction? An illness that tries your faith? We all have our "Moses moment" that makes us pause at the open door. When I went through my divorce I felt too unworthy to be a disciple of God. Satan kept me in that bondage for many years. God left the door open until I was ready to pass through and receive His mercy.

The day I finally walked through the door, the seas parted and I was embraced by a Heavenly love from my Abba.

Are you afraid? What if someone rejects you?

Yea! After all, I wonder what Jesus thought?

What if they reject Him, the Son? Hmm!

Are you ready for your Red Sea to part?

Blessings
Connie

Jan 12, 2007

Happy Birthday

This past week, Knox Britt celebrated his birthday in Heaven. His mom and dad still can't believe he's gone. Their hearts hurt beyond any earthly words given to us, I can only imagine.
I just want to take a moment to wish him a Happy Birthday. I bet it was a wonderful celebration. Imagine having Jesus at your birthday party!

And I wanted to say a prayer for Cristy and Billy.


I love you guys
Connie

Freedom is Never Free

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." (Galations 5:1)

The week of Christmas, my family visited the Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC, the site of many fallen soldiers. As I stood there looking across thousands of gravesites, I thought of how many children and young adults gave their lives for me. Then I thought of how many families the wars had touched. Freedom is never free.

My friend Jeff, before he died often shared his nightmares about his war days. But this deepest hurts were those when he returned to the U.S. His own people did not receive him. He was spit on and cursed for fighting for his country and doing what his President asked him to do. I saw Jeff cry. Freedom is never free.

And I have read the story and heard my Father whisper, "My Son died on a Cross for everyone's sins, so that all may have life--eternal life with Me(Jn 14:6). I AM the one who sent My precious Son to fight for you all because I love you so much(Jn3:16). But My deepest hurts are that My Son's own people did not receive Him. He was spit on and cursed for fighting for His people and doing what I asked Him to do. I saw My Son weep (Jn 11:35)."

Freedom is never free.

In Memory of Jeff Purdue…...

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/photo_gallery/12-26-05.html

Jan 11, 2007

Close the Mouths of your Lions

(Daniel 6:21) The Message "… said Daniel , ""My God sent His angel, who closed the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me."

Yesterday I ran into someone special. You might think this strange that I would say special but it was a special moment, as I will share. I ran into the wife (yes, they are still married) of the man that killed my best friend for the first time since Jayne's death 26 years ago. Years ago, this would have caused the fight or flight syndrome in me and I can tell you it would have been flight. I would have gone into a panic mode where my heart raced, my palms started sweating and I felt I couldn't breathe, because even the mention of his name caused that response. But yesterday when I saw her, we immediately knew each other. We had gone to school together.

One of my nurses asked me what I thought God was trying to tell me. At that time, I said I didn't know.

Last night as I told my husband about our meeting, he asked me what we talked about. I told him we talked about Jayne. He stood in awe that we could even go there. We also talked about Jayne's daughter and where she is in her life. She has kept up with Jayne's family. At no point during the conversation or at the point that I saw her did my heart even skip a beat.

Yes, I did wonder what God was saying to me.

This morning in my quiet time with the Lord, He revealed the answer to me.

Dear child, in your forgiveness, in your faithfulness, I give you the gift of closure…. I have "closed the mouths of lions so that they would not hurt you" any longer. (Dan 6:21)

Blessings

Connie

Jan 10, 2007

Bask in the Son

(Mark 4:26) The Message
Then Jesus said, "God's kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows…."


Well, I have become my parents. I now love planting flowers, plants and beautiful gardens. I use to wonder why on earth my parents would just stand and stare at their flower gardens. What could they possibly be doing or thinking! But now I know. There is such peace, such joy. When the seeds are planted, it's like magic waiting for the flowers to appear. When the first shoot breaks through, it's kind of like a hallelujah moment, isn't it? But do you ever wonder what took place under the ground during all the time it was in secret before it announced itself to the world?

Similarly, we as Christians once we accept the Lord as our Savior, think we should be in full bloom. We think we should be a flower that exudes of a fragrance so great that it attracts all passersby. But that isn't the case, we have now learned to our sadness, that there are long periods of uncertainty, silence and darkness in our spiritual growth. Maybe just like our little seed underground, no one sees us. We are busting to be announced to the world but darkness prevails. But God is helping us built character, life and a fragrance unique to us.

He is preparing us to weather the storms and the wind that will come our way. And eventually we will realize that our weaknesses or failures are not a lack of commitment to our Abba but a way of preparing us to rely on Him.

And to help us relax so that we can bask in the Son.

Blessings……...

Connie

Jan 9, 2007

Take Up Your Cross

(2 Timothy 3:16) The Message "....Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us."

Why did Jesus talk in stories (parables)? Just think about it. How many of you on Sunday listen to your Pastor when he's telling a great story versus being lectured to? Jesus was no dummy, He knew how to crawl inside our souls and stir our emotions.

He wanted us to see through the eyes of others.

I hear it daily, "I just want "it" (whatever ''it'' is) to be fair." Whatever we do in the work place, at school or yes even Church, it needs to be fair. Well, why? What was fair about how we treated our Savior? Jesus was clear in the story of the workers wages that "it" would not be fair. And He helped us see why; He pulled us into the story through the eyes of both sides. He helped us see our pettiness. But how soon we forget.

Jesus came to teach us about ourselves so that we too could see through the eyes of others. He wanted us to have compassion; He wanted us to understand the "suffering with" so that we could embrace each other, because we are really no different from each other.

Scripture says, "Take up your Cross...." not take up your Crown now does it? (Matthew 16:24) There was pain and suffering at the Cross. The reward was (is) on the other side of this life. It's waiting on us in the form of…---- yes, a Crown.

We are all hurting, broken and in need of a Savior. And Jesus is the only way.

Blessings.

Jan 8, 2007

Who are you running from?

(Romans 12:4) The Message ",,,,So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be,...."

Have you ever read the book the Death of a Salesman? For those of you that haven't, it is about a man, Willy Loman, who had an incredible gift to draw people to him. He had a winning personality. Thus, everyone loved Willy. Somewhere along the way, Willy lost his gift. As this happened, his world fell apart and he became depressed and lost all hope. Eventually Willy committed suicide.

Willy's son gave his fathers' eulogy. At the funeral he said, "Willy never knew who he was."

BAM! Is that just a big slap in the face? How many of us really know who we are apart from our duties as a spouse, parent or even work? We carry out our duties very well, but when something happens in our roles, it seems like the rug has been pulled out from under us.

Who am I?

Maybe we never really learned who we were in Christ. Maybe we have been running from Him. Maybe we never knew how or that we could climb up in His lap. It's easy to do. We can paint ourselves in some very good little bows and ribbons. "Father, look at me, I’m doing everything under the Son for You. I am in every activity in Church." But what if our Abba never had planned that for us? Wonder why you are so tired all the time?

Maybe it's time to quit running from and time to start running to......

Blessings……...