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

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

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

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

This Weekend

Rest in Our Abba's Arms

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

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