God Is Good

I've got one hour to snuggle up with you, Beloved reader. I've got my cup of coffee in a cute little birdy cup that I found at the Salvation Army yesterday, and my brain is full of topics to talk about, and in the end I think we should have a toast. Be thinking about what it is we should toast with our drinks in hand. Yours might be wine by the time you read this or it might be a smoothie tomorrow morning, but I feel a toast coming on. 

Let's start this conversation off with this quote;
"God is great in minuteness as He is in Magnitude."
This is an anonymous quote. The first time I read this I giggled out loud aka GOL'd.  Get it?   Instead of LOL'd I GOL'd.  Ok that wasn't funny. Moving on. I GOL'd because I read the word minuteness wrong. I thought the writer made up a a new word like minute to minute, hour by hour, minute-ness.  Then I realized when I read it again that I just don't know how to read apparently, which made me LOL.
After GOL-ing and LOL-ing this quote also made me remember going to Foursquare church camps where at the end or beginning of most church services someone would say; "GOD IS GOOD" and then the kids would reply "ALL THE TIME" and back and forth the chant would go. 
It made me thankful that I have this perspective about God, because I know some people don't think He is good. But He really is so good, and wanting to be so involved in our everyday lives.   In the minuteness of them. And the Magnitude of them. In the good times and the bad. In our quiet moments  and the loud excited ones too.
This really hit home yesterday, when I was doing some shopping at said thrift store, where I found that little cute mug up there, I realized once again how very true this quote is.
You see even in shopping God meets me in the minuteness of finding a coffee mug so cute, and so unique, and so on sale ... that I know it was intended just for me.   Do you know that even when I'm shopping I feel there are special bargains that I find only because God is looking out for me? That might seem silly to some of you who are thinking more that God should be paying attention to all the worlds tragedies and not finding bargains for his kids, but that's just where you are wrong. Somehow, God is able to do it all.  That's what the above quote speaks to me. 
I know He cares about the fact that I'm trying to raise a family on a limited budget and still be resourceful, and shop at second hand stores. Quite often the very thing I need to be shopping for will end up being on sale. Like yesterday the color at the thrift store that I go to was Grey. Now, anyone who has shopped Savers or Value Village knows those colors are important. They make it so that what ever color it is that day will be 50% off. That's quite the savings on something that is already cheaper because it's used. So Grey was the color and I kid you not everything I picked up was tagged with a Grey tag.  How cool is that?  It was a reminder to me that even in little things God cares and is moving in my life, if only I have eyes and ears to see and hear.  It's not just finding cute coffee mugs on sale that God is so good for. In the moments of this life where I just don't understand the pain and suffering, the sickness and sadness, the despair and darkness that can sometimes cloud over this world... HE IS THERE. He reminds me that this world is passing away and someday HE will answer every question and wipe away every tear from every eye.  HE right NOW is preparing that place. And in the meantime, only HE can provide some heaven on earth for me, and I'm beyond blessed to have Him in every moment of my life.

"I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too- your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful - I can't take it all in! " Psalm 139:5-6
With that being said, I think it's only right that we Toast to the God of the universe ... Who's with me? Raise your glass... To Yahweh  Who is always, always, always Good. Who never fails. Never gives up. Never slumbers nor sleeps on the job.   HE is worth all our glasses raised don't ya think?
Cha Ching!!!

Goonies and Christ Followers

This might be a long stretch of my imagination, and an even longer stretch for YOUR imagination, but I think there is an analogy between the movie the Goonies and following Christ.

Stay with me here, as I process this out with you. Ok so, you know in the beginning of the movie when they are all up in the attic and Brant, or is it Brand, or Brad...  alright well the old brother is talking to the younger brother Mikey and he's defending his dad's story about One Eyed Willy and the Treasure, he says "My Father always tells me the truth." This one line started this whole process for me of this analogy. 
I think because Mikey had such a strong faith in his Father's stories being true he inspired everyone else to come along with him on this adventure. Sometimes our faith, YOUR faith inspires people.

Wait, lets pause right here for a moment. I feel compelled to let you in on a little secret about me. I LOVE ANALOGIES. Or  Word Pictures.  I- Love-Them.  So, on any given occasion you might find me coming up with some pretty random, sometimes poignant, often times nonsensical analogies. That being said, I guess this really isn't a stretch for my imagination to compare The Goonies to those of us that follow Christ, but if it's a stretch for you just... Now YOU hold on, don't go getting butt-hurt if you are Christ follower because I just called you a Goon. Let me explain.

The Goonies are a band of brothers and two sisters who are working together to find a Treasure. WE as Christ followers search everyday for the hidden treasures that are in God's treasure chest.
They all share a common goal, saving the town of Astoria. WE share the common goal to live and die as Christ.
There are leaders in the group, and there are followers. WE are all leaders in some way shape or form and we are all followers of ONE.

They make mistakes. WE make mistakes.

There are doubters, and there are encouragers. WE have those who can wrestle with doubt or be full of faith, and we have those who can encourage your little socks right off on a daily basis. 
They each bring something different to the table, The Goonie table that is. WE each bring something different to this banqueting table. All of our gifts are important. Not one is more or less important than the next.

  And they each go about this adventure a little different from the next guy. Sure they are on the same path, but the way they handle each skeleton, each "boobie trap, that's what I said" from the next is so different.  But the important part is that they are on this Adventure TOGETHER. 
WE search out the heart of God, the treasure that is with in Him so differently, but that doesn't mean we aren't all in this together.  They say things like, "Goonies never Die" We say things like, "Be Strong and Courageous for the Lord Thy God is with thee" Wait. I don't say things like that, I say things like what those pictures up there say, see different, but the same.
The goal- treasure. The end result-  a mother load ship to end all mother load ships. Akay, that's all I got. That AND  I get to be Chunk ;)

Harden Not Your Hearts

*Warning the post ahead is not only FOREVER long it is also NOT for the faint of heart. But, this is what I have been thinking about a lot these days so hang with me here as I process this out with YOU beloved reader. When is the last time you cried, I mean really cried about something that moved you? For me, it's not hard to remember because I'm somewhat of a cry baby.  But, I'm not talking about crying over something like a good, happy ending of a movie. Or a sappy commercial. NO, I'm talking about the poverty in the world, the thousands of children who don't have parents to love them and care for them, or maybe the children who do have parents, but those parents are broken and abusive. I'm talking about the broken marriages, the broken politicians, the broken pastors, the broken teens, THE broken. It's  the stuff we see on the news every night. Well, YOU see on the news, I don't watch the news for this very reason, It makes me cry.  I've always wondered what it would be like if the anchorman or woman would read the news with the emotions of a relative to the person they are reporting about? With a heart that wasn't hard? Human trafficking, War,  Elder abuse, all the injustices of this world. These are not topics that any of us like to think about. In fact if you are like me you avoid topics like this with every ounce of your being, you run the other way from topics like this. I run because, I feel helpless. I feel overwhelmed. I feel like I wish I could adopt every beautiful orphan child, but My Giant said No! *Sidenote- Whenever I think of all the world and humanity in it's darkest state, I remember in the movie The 5th Element when the Alien lady sees' all the worlds devastation like war, and terrorism and she thinks twice about saving the world that she has come to save.  There's a good analogy there with the whole "Savior of the world" thing. Put a pin in that thought we will come back to that. Have you seen The 5th Element? It's one of our favorites around here. Good movie, but that's a side note there. A brief intermission before we get  Back to the heavy.

  Recently, I have been surrounded with a lot of heavy news from friends and family. It's hard not to feel so much sadness when I talk to these beloved people in my life. I can very easily become consumed by the sadness, but I have to remember that's not where I should stay.  Speaking of staying,   I know this is a heavy topic. I know it's not happy. I know you want to skip this blog right about now and go to another happy place, but wait. I promise a happy ending and even a song at the end of this story. Let me tell you that I know the easy route to take when you read and hear of tragedies is to either ignore, or feel there is nothing we can do to help so we harden our hearts. We don't realize this is what is occurring.  We are unaware that over time when we stop watching the news, when we stop hearing the out cries of injustices we are hardening our hearts. I'm guilty of this a thousand times over. And then before you know it, it's been a really, really long time since you have wept over something other than that spilt milk. Your probably thinking about now, well what are you getting at Noël? Should I turn on the news and immerse myself with every sad story that there is out there? Should I become a social activist? Crisis counselor? Should I go find every homeless person I can and invite them to live with me? Should I drop everything and fly to Africa and bring home some beautiful babes as my homecoming present? And to that I say NO BIG DUMBY!  No I would never call you dumb my beloved reader, but NO don't do that.  I mean unless that's what you feel prompted to do after reading my silly blog. To be quite honest, I'm not really sure what I'm trying to get at here. Except maybe, that even I need to remember that it's not doing nothing when we pray. Jesus Heal. There is a NAME we can call when we need help. Jesus Heal. It's not doing nothing when we try to help where there is an outstretched arm. Jesus Heal. It's not doing nothing when you do what you can when you can. Jesus Heal. There is a NAME that is above all names, it's better than calling 911 in an emergency. Jesus Heal. It's not doing nothing to keep a soft heart, and there is only one name I know that can keep this heart from hardening. Jesus Heal.   This is what I read today; "Blessed(happy fortunate and to be envied) is the man who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord at all times(regardless of circumstances), but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity." Proverbs 28:14
And then I read this: "In his hands are the deep places of the earth; the heights and the strength of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.  Today if you hear his voice Harden not your hearts" Psalm 95:7-8
That last sentence reminds me of my Gram or "Grandma THE Great" is what my kids called her before she went home to be with Jesus. Yes, she loved Jesus and she would say(with a beautiful East Coast accent) all the time, "Today if you hear his voice harden not your hearts." But, that whole scripture reminds me of the age old childhood song, "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands" and that makes me feel better. Like I don't have to solve all the worlds problems, but I can listen for HIS voice, ask HIM to keep my heart soft,  and pray.  Jesus Heal. I want to have a soft heart for when I hear of tragedies, of very hard things that my friends and family are going through, so I can weep with them. I want to share in the joys AND the sorrows. His Great Name is what keeps this heart soft. 

A Favorite Poem

“When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say. "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow.”
― Maya Angelou

New Identity

Over the past few months I have really been hearing Jesus telling me to remember and never forget that my identity is in Him. To press in and get to know Him better and deeper. He gave me this very cool word picture about the ocean and how if you stay in the shallow end for too long even though you will feel the sand beneath your feet and the coolness of the water you won't see what the oceans deep really has to behold. I believe there are creatures out there that we still haven't even seen. I started to think of the shallow waters of the ocean and how when you stand there long enough you start to see the muck and sea weed and all the impurities that are in the water but if you go deeper the water gets clear and more beautiful. This is what life with Jesus is like . You put your foot in the water and you are cooled, the scenery is breath-taking at first but if you stay there you miss out on what lies beneath. It takes courage I think to go deep sea diving and I think it takes courage to press in to get to know this God that is so massive, so beyond little old me. The funny thing is that this is a interesting picture to give to me because I don't really even care that much for water stuff. I have never been snorkeling or deep sea diving(nor do I plan to) heck, I can't even swim!! All the same I got what He was trying to say to me.
What amazes me still and probably is something that always will amaze me is that after all these years of knowing Jesus there is still so much more to know, feel, learn from Him. My whole life I have been brought up in some sorta church and so I have been hearing about Jesus for 32 years and I know that even in another 32 years there will still be things about Him that will fascinate me. I am so thankful for His presence in my daily life. I am so thankful that from a very young age He has personally drawn upon my heartstrings in ways that only He can. I can't even put into words His love. Truly He is amazing and His love for me baffles me.
So digging deeper, what does that look like for me. I am reading, worshiping, listening, learning from ALL His people, taking time for Him, laying down things and picking some old things back up again and in a sense I feel like I am deep sea diving. Don't know what that feels like and this time going deeper feels different. It's good , it's refreshing, it's a new identity.
"My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God , My Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood
His mercy reigns
Unending Love, Amazing Grace."

Topic at Youth Grp tonight

The topic at youth group tonight was our view of God. Very good topic that peeked alot of great questions from young inquiring minds who want to know. One good question in my small group was "If God doesn't cause death and disease then why did He send the flood that killed the whole earth except for Noah and his family?"
My answer took me a minute. I stalled by saying very good question. Thought about it and only came up with two things . He wouldn't have flooded the earth if there wasn't sin, and also at least He did send warning and provide a way out(the ark).
Well, this got me thinking. The God we serve is so amazing and hard for me to understand sometimes. For me it is so easy to view Him as the Loving Savior which is why I like hanging out in the New Testament but when reading in the Old Testament I have more questions. I love the stories of the OldTestament but many of them are hard for me to get a handle on. I know that God hates sin and that is why it is dealt with so severely. I know that He doesn't change (Hebrews 13:8, 4square scripture) but truly there are some stories in the Old testament that just tweak me. I also know that in OT times people were living under the law and not covered by the blood. SO , those are a few things I know but still alot I don't know.
I am wondering if my answer was a good one and also if there was more I couldv'e said to help bring a good understanding of the God we serve. I want always that my interpretation/view of Him would be an accurate one.
So, this is a young/old inquiring mind who wants to know your view of the God we serve.

Faith

Now, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see....By faith I believed God would send me good strong Christian friends in jr high when my faith was so brand new and He did. By faith I believed God would bring a man named Moses to know, love , and serve Him. By faith, I believed that if God really wanted me to marry this man then it would be ok for me to stop,cease, and no longer stalk, I mean pray for this boy named Moses. By faith, I believed that my second pregnancy wouldn't end as my first and it did not,(Emma Faith). By faith, I believed my lil babies would breathe all through the night even if I wasn't staring at them all night long. By faith, I believed God would heal my son Solomon when he had RSV and he did. By faith.........

Just reading through Hebrews chapter 11 this time made me think of how in my own life of faith I could make my own list of faith testimonies that would bring God glory and how wanting and needing a new measure of faith is never a bad thing. I am praying for this for myself and for others right now.
I would love to hear some of your faith stories. Also what is your favorite story of faith in the bible? My all time favorite faith story is of Abraham and his son Isaac. This story always strikes a chord in my heart that makes me stop and think do I have that kind of faith/trust in my God.