Do It Again!

For the past several days Dave and I had been blessed to have our youngest daughter, son-in-love, and three small grandchildren visit. Our home has been filled with happy times!

After they left, we talked about all the fun things we did while they were here and are hoping to do it again as soon as possible. We hadn’t had this much time with them in over a year.

The house was filled with laughter and joy! There were a few tears and squabbles but those were minimal. Art projects were created, stories were read, games were played, swings were swung, meals were shared and bedtime prayers were said. (Thank God for bedtime, I needed to recharge.)

A happy home!

Yesterday morning when I was reading my Bible I saw plainly that a “happy home” is God’s plan for us and it’s spelled out for us in several places. One of those is right here in Colossians.

“Wives, be willing to serve your husbands. This is the right thing to do in following the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be gentle to them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything. This pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, don’t upset your children. If you are too hard to please, they might want to stop trying.” Colossians 3:18-21 ERV

These are basic, simple instructions, instructions that create a happy home!

Wives are to submit to our husbands. It’s the right thing to do. There can only be one head in a home and God has vested that authority to our husbands. They, in turn, are answerable to God for making the right decisions for their familes. We are given the responsibility of being “keepers of the home”. It’s a high calling!

Husbands are instructed to love us and to be gentle with us. They are to be our protectors and providers. That’s a big responsibility. They need our prayers and our support. They are to love and care for us in the same way that Christ does.

Children are instructed to be obedient. If they learn this lesson in the home they will be respectful of the other authority figures in their lives, i.e. teachers, employers, elders, law enforcement, the Lord. This goes back to what I was saying yesterday. We taught our children there was one rule at home, be obedient.

Parents…for me, this is the hard one. There’s a fine line between being too strict or harsh and teaching our children discipline and respect. If we are constantly correcting, it becomes nagging, and it can create a child with low self-esteem. God doesn’t want that for our children, He wants them to realize how deeply loved they are by Him and by us.

“Fathers, do not be so hard on your children that they will give up trying to do what is right.” Colossians 3:21 NLV

I realized I was doing this to our kids when they did their household chores. I was pushing them to my standard of perfection and not realizing that they didn’t see things the same way I did. I needed to praise them for their effort and help them see the things they were deficient with.

Our kids are not just our kids. They are also sons and daughters of God and we should be raising them the way He instructs. Will there be times when correction and discipline are necessary? Absolutely. Will there be occasions of defiance and rebellion? Possibly. It’s up to us as parents to bring our children, individually, to the Lord in prayer and get His insight on their upbringing.

A happy home is built on a foundation of God’s love. His word is infallible, we can trust Him!

We keep doing the right thing because it’s right and then we do it again!

Grace & Peace

Have you ever found yourself in a place that is noisy and chaotic? A place of constant activity – people and/or vehicles rushing about? Yelling, sirens, loud whistles?

I try to avoid those places at all costs! I long for quiet and serenity. I don’t even like the commercials on TV because they come on louder than the programming I’m watching and it seems like they are yelling at me.

Our home is my place of peace. In fact, when we moved in we named it Casa de Paz, House of Peace!

It’s also a place where we extend grace.

Grace, as defined by Webster, 1a: unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification b: a virtue coming from God c: a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance 2a: APPROVALFAVOR stayed in his good graces barchaic MERCYPARDON c: a special favor PRIVILEGE d: disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency e: a temporary exemption REPRIEVE

My simple definition of grace is receiving undeserved goodness.

So why am I talking to you about grace and peace?

For the past few days I have felt compelled to read through the Book of Colossians again. Years ago it became one of my favorite books in the New Testament. Paul’s letter tells of God’s wonderful love, forgiveness, grace, peace and authority. I want to share with you some of my thoughts from this book.

“I am writing to you who belong to Christ in the city of Colossae. May all the Christian brothers there have loving-favor and peace from God our Father.” Colossians 1:2 NLV

The terms loving-favor and kindness are also translations of the word grace.

Paul immediately identifies our relationship with God. When we accept the gift of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ we are adopted by our loving Father, God. He wants the best for us and that starts with Him showering us with grace; loving-favor and kindness.

I see the Father embracing us.

I imagine the outpouring of His love is something like what Dave and I do when the grandkids come to visit, only greater. We meet them on the driveway, help them out of the car and the first thing we do is hug and kiss them. (Their parents also) We mix in a couple of tickles too. Then we take them into the house and show them the special surprises and treats we have planned for them.

Loving-favor.

There have been a couple occasions when these same grandkids have awaken in the night crying, uncertain of where they are or just a little frightened by something. Immediately, we are there. Sshing their fears, kissing their heads and telling them everything will be ok. We create an atmosphere of peace.

This is what God, our Father, does for us. This and so much more is what we receive from Him. Paul wrote thirteen letters to new Christians in the New Testament. Each one of them brings a message of grace and peace. God wants all of His children to know His goodness!

I want everyone to know it too. I pray that you will experience the Father’s kindness and His peace today.


My Brother

      …There is a very graphic story in the Old Testament which reveals the provisions of joint inheritance.

Joseph was an example of Christ in so many areas of his life and it is in his story that we find an example of Jesus’ making provision for us.

 Very briefly let me recap Joseph’s life. In Genesis 37-46 Joseph is betrayed by his brothers, Jesus was also betrayed by his Jewish brethren. Joseph became a servant and Jesus came from heaven to serve. Even in a hostile land Joseph rose to a place of leadership just as Jesus did.

 In Genesis 45 Joseph confronts his brothers and tells them God has sent him ahead of them into Egypt so that he could provide for them in their time of need.

      “I will take care of you during the next five years of hunger. So you and your family will not lose everything you own.” Genesis 45:11 ERV

Jesus came into a hostile land and gained great power which enabled Him to provide for all our needs. In the land where Joseph’s brothers were considered strangers, they were given the best in the land. They shared in what Joseph had been given by the pharaoh.

      “Tell them to bring your father and their families back here to me. I will give you the best land in Egypt to live on. And your family can eat the best food we have here.” Genesis 45:18 ERV

Joseph’s brothers did not do anything to earn or deserve the best land in Egypt. The pharaoh gave it to them because of who Joseph was. Our heavenly Father has promised to provide for us because of who our brother, Jesus, is.

      “Christ has made us a holy nation of religious leaders who can go to His God and Father. He is the One to receive honor and power forever! Let it be so.” Revelation 1:6 NLV

If everything has been provided for us in Christ, then why aren’t we experiencing the life he has made available to us? The answer is clear. Jesus gave this command to the disciples when he left this earth.

      “So he came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me. 19 So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything that I have told you to do. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time.” Matthew 28:18-20 ERV

Jesus was telling his disciples “you go in the power and authority that I have; I’m giving it to you, and I will always be with you”. The early Christians had no problem in following these instructions. They saw people healed, the dead raised, demons cast out and their needs met. They realized there was power in the words that Jesus spoke.

….Down through the ages we have forgotten the power of Jesus’ words and many live as if they never moved out of a land rittled by famine. We need to recognize the inheritance the Father has given us to share with our brother, Jesus. He promised “I will be with you always” and that includes the year of 2021!

Reading of the Will

Over the last week I have shared with you the first chapter of Like A Diamond, Sons of God. When we accept the sacrifice that Jesus made for us and receive forgiveness for our sins we are adopted by our heavenly Father. With our adoption we receive an inheritance that we share with our older brother Jesus…

When we enter sonship, we also come into another relationship; we become joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Jesus becomes our older brother and we share in the inheritance that our heavenly Father has given him.

Several years ago, my husband received an inheritance from his parents’ trust. It got us to thinking. What were we leaving to our children? We asked them if there was anything they really wanted of our possessions. We were pleasantly surprised by their answers; they each mentioned things of sentimental value but not those of financial substance. They all expressed a desire to spend more time with us; making memories and continuing traditions that they could hold on to when we are gone. That is what they felt would be a rich inheritance.

Our heavenly Father has set up a wonderful inheritance for us.

“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!” Romans 8:15-17 MSG

Our relationship with the Father is adventurous and wonderfully exciting!  We go from living in an orphanage to playing ball in the palace.

Why does the author of Romans point out that we have been freed from fear? Our old family relationship was fear based. Jesus knows that the father of this world, the devil, is the father of lies. His purpose is to deceive, steal from and destroy us in any way he can. As our big brother, Jesus, protects us and delivers us from his schemes. Jesus never wants us looking back, scared that we may be taken away from the Father.

 “A thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. But I came to give life – life that is full and good.”  John 10:10 ERV

Praise God for our older brother!

He has our best interest at heart. As our joint heir He shows us that we are entitled to the same privileges He has been given by the Father.

At one time we were spiritual street urchins but now our lives have been cleansed. We are precious jewels to the Father, “Like A Diamond”. Let’s sparkle brilliantly for Him.

A Little Discipline

Yesterday we were with our youngest grandchildren, it was so much fun! There was lots of laughter and then there was a scuffle and our granddaughter pinched her brother. Quickly “Dad” stepped in and took the situation in hand. Correction was needed and given.

Today we will see how God disciplines us. The Bible tells us He disciplines the ones He loves…

Like all good parents, our heavenly Father will correct us and bring discipline into our lives. A child without correction and discipline is, quite frankly, a spoiled brat.

“But you have forgotten that the Scriptures say to God’s children, ‘When the Lord punishes you, don’t make light of it and when he corrects you, don’t be discouraged. The Lord corrects the people he loves and disciplines those he calls his own.’

Be patient when you are being corrected! This is how God treats his children. Don’t all parents correct their children? God corrects all of his children, and if he doesn’t correct you, then you don’t really belong to him. Our earthly fathers correct us, and we still respect them. Isn’t it even better to be given true life by letting our spiritual Father correct us?

10 Our human fathers correct us for a short time, and they do it as they think best. But God corrects us for our own good, because he wants us to be holy, as he is. 11 It is never fun to be corrected. In fact, at the time it is always painful. But if we learn to obey by being corrected, we will do right and live at peace.” Hebrews 12:5-11 ERV

We receive discipline because we are true sons of God and the Lord loves us. For years, religion taught that discipline comes through sickness, accidents or losing that which we love the most.

But that is not true. That’s not who God is!

How would we feel if people went around accusing us of giving our children the flu, measles, or cancer because we were disciplining them? What if they said we caused our child to have an accident of some sort to teach them a lesson? To put it mildly, we’d probably be fighting mad!

Well, the religious world has been accusing God of doing that very thing for generations. In fact, they have even accused Him of killing children, teenagers or those in their prime of life to save them from a life of sin or to bring others to salvation. A loving father would never subject his children to such treatment. There was only one life required for salvation and Jesus filled the bill!

Imagine how God’s heart must break when He hears those things being said.  God said His Word was given for our discipline and correction. In Jesus’ own ministry He never used physical abuse to correct His disciples; every rebuke or correction was based on the Word.  

Have you ever read a verse of Scripture or heard a message that pricked your heart? In my experience that hurt more than any spanking I physically received. After correction from the Word, it becomes our responsibility to accept that chastisement and correct our ways. It is the Word that will perfect us and equip us through and through.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” II Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

May I encourage you not to ignore God’s word when it brings correction. His discipline prepares and equips us for EVERY good work!

Happy Kids!

We are going to continue for a few more days looking at what God, the Father, has provided for children, for us. He has planned for us to live joyful lives…

Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as a good gift. A gift from the Father.  The Holy Spirit was sent to help us. He is also called the Comforter, and by definition, that means counsellor, intercessor, advocate, strengthener and standby. He intercedes for us.

This verse also says the Holy Spirit will remind us of all things Jesus spoke and He will teach us all things. When the Holy Spirit comes to our aid, He reminds us of God’s Word and instructs us on how to show our love to the Father.

The Father only gives us good gifts. He is not looking to make our lives miserable or downtrodden.

      “Now you are sad, but I will see you again, and you will be happy. You will have a joy that no one can take away. 23 In that day you will not have to ask me about anything. And I assure you, my Father will give you anything you ask him for in my name. 24 You have never asked for anything in this way before. But ask in my name, and you will receive. And you will have the fullest joy possible.” John 16:22b-24 ERV

      “Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV from

As I said, our Father is wanting to place His best at our disposal. Let’s look at one other thing the Holy Spirit does for us. He fills us with the power or ability that we need to victoriously defeat Satan, our enemy, who tries to deceive us and steal our inheritance.

      “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes into your life. You will tell about Me in the city of Jerusalem and over all the countries of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NLV

With the Holy Spirit constantly reminding us of God’s Word and giving us the power to follow it, failure is less of an occurrence in our lives than when we try to do it all on our own. Now, that is a good gift!

As sons of God, we have been given the same power as our older brother, Jesus. It is only through our ignorance of the Word and/or our willful disobedience of the Father’s instructions that Satan can steal our power.

      “Jesus has the power of God. And his power has given us everything we need to live a life devoted to God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus chose us by his glory and goodness, through which he also gave us the very great and rich gifts that he promised us. With these gifts you can share in being like God. And so, you will escape the ruin that comes to people in the world because of the evil things they want.” II Peter 1:3-4 ERV

These verses plainly state that we have been given everything we need for life and godly living. The Father’s exceeding great and precious promises have been given so that we might reflect God’s divine nature. This is a facet of our relationship with Him. He wants us to be victorious while we are here on earth as well as in heaven. He wants us to imitate Him, just like Jesus did.

The Father has placed His light in us so that we can shine brilliantly, “Like A Diamond”, and as His joyful children we bring the light of His goodness to the world.

A New Family

Today I will continue with our teaching on “Sons of God”. I am confident of this very thing, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever”. I will keep my eyes on Him and follow His leading.

Now let’s continue.

      “He has made you able to have what he has promised to give all his holy people, who live in the light. 13 God made us free from the power of darkness. And he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. 14 The Son paid the price to make us free. In him we have forgiveness of our sins.” Colossians 1:13-14 ERV

When a child is adopted, they are chosen above all others. The parents saw the child and chose them to be their own. The child is accepted and loved. Loved unconditionally, shortcomings and faults included. They are special and desired by the parents.

That should tell us something about our Heavenly Father. He looked across the span of eternity and desired to be our Father. He made the greatest sacrifice a father could make to receive us into His family. He sent His only Son to pay the price for our adoption.

Jesus had been with God, the Father, from the beginning of time.  Because of His sacrifice many sons and daughters have been added to God’s family. The price Jesus paid was great. He made the ultimate sacrifice. He did this so we could be the adopted sons and daughters of God.

“God knew from the beginning who would put their trust in Him. So, He chose them and made them to be like His Son. Christ was first and all those who belong to God are His brothers.” Romans 8:29 NLV

Our Father has given us all of heaven’s blessings. He has provided so much for us, far more than anything we could ever imagine or dream. He wants to give the best to His kids and to put all He has at our disposal.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven.” Ephesians 1:3 ERV

“God is able to do much more than we ask or think through His power working in us. 21 May we see His shining-greatness in the church. May all people in all time honor Christ Jesus. Let it be so.” Ephesians 3:20-21 NLV

This is one of the first things He promised to give us as His children.

“Even you who are bad know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father knows how to give the Holy Spirit to the people who ask him.” Luke 11:13 ERV

“But the Helper will teach you everything and cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name.” John 14:26 ERV

Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as a good gift. A gift from the Father.  The Holy Spirit was sent to help us. He is also called the Comforter, and by definition, that means counsellor, intercessor, advocate, strengthener and standby. He intercedes for us.

This verse also says the Holy Spirit will remind us of all things Jesus spoke and He will teach us all things. When the Holy Spirit comes to our aid, He reminds us of God’s Word and instructs us on how to show our love to the Father.

  • We have been chosen by God, the Father. He wants us to be a part of His family. Let’s honor Him by showing His love to the world.

Over the River

We took Sam and Kristine back to their Mom, Dad and baby sister yesterday. The final stop of a wonderful weekend was at Dairy Queen for a chocolate Dilly Bar and a Cherry dipped cone. (just sorry I forgot to get pictures of that)

Yum!

Driving back home, Dave and I started talking about our grandparents and special memories we have from our childhood. He grew up with his grandparents, both sets, living in the same town while I didn’t. He got to see them every weekend for special times of Saturday night at the movies, sleepovers and root beer floats. I got to see my grandparents every few years and only for brief visits. I guess that’s why it’s so important to us to make the memories that we can with our grandchildren.

The words of a song came to mind last night as I was sitting on the couch reliving moments from the weekend.

Over the river and through the wood
To Grandfather’s house we go.
The horse knows the way
To carry the sleigh
Through white and drifted snow.

Over the river and through the wood —
Now Grandmother’s cap I spy!
Hurrah for fun!
Is the pudding done?
Hurray for the pumpkin pie!

These are only a couple of the verses from a poem written in 1844 by Lydia Child. Each verse bursts with the excitement of a child getting to see Grandfather and Grandmother on Thanksgiving.

There was a time when Dave and I lived in an area where our children and grandchildren had to travel through the white and drifted snow. Those were days of special memories with our oldest two grandchildren, grandchildren who now have families of their own. Times of sledding, tromping through the snow, cutting our own Christmas tree, hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls. Special memories, indeed!

However, I hope the greatest memories we are creating for our grandchildren are of Dave and I – our love for each other, our love for them and our love for the Lord! I remember my grandfather reaching across the breakfast table and taking my grandmother’s hand as they prayed before a meal. Nothing is more special.

“So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,” Deuteronomy 11:18-20 NLT

We should take every opportunity we have to tell our children and grandchildren we love them. Show them they are special and pray for them daily. That’s a foundation and a heritage that all of us can give – it requires no money but it brings lasting rewards.

“Father, we cover our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren with Your love and grace. May they grow in relationship with You – may they see that no one loves them more or has any greater plans for their success than You. Keep them safe and may they show Your love to the world around them. In Jesus name. Amen”

Write a note, send an email, make a call – tell your grandchildren how much you love them and that they are a blessing.

So Much Fun

I don’t know of a better way to usher in the Christmas season than with hearts filled with thanksgiving. It just seems like the logical thing to do – giving thanks prepares our hearts for the best that God had to give.

So, we decorated our trees (I’ll explain more in a minute), started reading our new Christmas story books and talked about Jesus’ birth with Sam and Kristine. One of the things I enjoy doing most at Christmas time is reading beautifully illustrated books that will capture the childrens’ attention and help them understand the real meaning of Christmas.

Dave and I will be spending Christmas at a campground this year. This was not our original plan but it’s not a bad Plan B. Last week I bought a small evergreen tree to take with us and it will sit on the breakfast bar until we leave. Yesterday the kids decorated it with some brightly painted tin ornaments. They both chose five ornaments and could place them whereever they wanted on the tree. Sam had an angel ornament that also had a star attached to it. He wanted that one to be at the top because the star was for Jesus.

Later in the day we headed out to the front courtyard where Dave helped us place big plastic ornaments in the mesquite tree. We laughed and giggled, oohed and ahhed, as he lifted each glittery ball at least fifteen feet in the air.

We were having so much fun!

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid. 10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy. 11 Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:9-11 ERV

Joy is the message of Christmas. God, the Father, was so excited about His Son’s birth that He lit up the heavens and had an angels’ chorus announce the good news! After thousands of years, the day was here, that day when God came to earth and became Immanuel, which means God with us!

“So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, 23 ‘A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.’”Matthew 1:22-23 CEV

Now that’s the reason for the joy and laughter!

May I admonish you to take a strong stand against stress and grumbling this Christmas season. What if we decorated our lives they way we decorate our homes and our trees? Look for and share the lasting joy that has been heaven sent! Look at Christmas through the eyes of the angels – the wonder of heaven coming to earth.

“My soul will be happy in the Lord. It will be full of joy because He saves. 10 All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You? Who saves the weak from those too strong for them? Who saves the poor from those who would rob them?” Psalm 35:9-10 NLV

Prepare now to be happy and full of joy!

Life’s Greatest Blessings

A year ago I started keeping “My Gratitude List”. I would pen a couple of lines in my morning journal, two or three things, that I was grateful for from the day before. In December the list focused on wonderful gifts that the Lord has blessed me with – strength, health, joy, a day of baking, time spent with friends and family. After the first of the year I continued recording my gratitude and my gifts, thanking the Father each day for specific things.

As I flip back through the pages my heart is warmed by the many times that I make reference to my kids, grandkids and great grand. As a mother, I have much to be thankful for.

Some years back I wrote this on my Facebook News Feed. I believe it was one of those things you are supposed to copy and share. The words rang true then and still do today.

“I loved you the minute I knew I was pregnant. I loved you the minute you were born. Then I saw your face and fell in love some more. You were only a minute old but I knew I would die for you. To this day I still would. When I choose to have children I made a conscious decision, to allow my heart to walk around outside my body. You, my child are my heart.”

Once I begin to focus my thoughts on my kids it doesn’t take long before I am focused on my heavenly Father and His love for me. The capacity to love deeply and unconditionally as a parent comes from Him. The ability to forgive and not be bitter come from Father God. The willingness to forget the struggles and focus on the “best” all comes from the Lord.

We are His children and He has chosen to forgive, forget, encourage, correct, instruct, praise and nuture each and everyone of us. He doesn’t grow weary by our questions, He’s always there to calm our fears. Never has He abandon us or left us on our own – even when we’ve told Him we don’t need Him, that we can handle it without Him.

Our family is far from perfect. I say that tongue-in-cheek because none of us are. I was not the perfect daughter and I haven’t been the perfect mom. That’s why having a perfectly loving, heavenly Father means so much to me. He sees my failures, covers me with forgiveness and sets me on the right path.

“The Lord is kind and merciful.  He is patient and full of love. He does not always criticize.
 He does not stay angry with us forever. 10 We sinned against him, but he didn’t give us the punishment we deserved. 11 His love for his followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. 12 And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children.” Psalm 103:8-13 ERV

How could I limit my love when He never has! Our names are written on the Father’s gratitude list.

“We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father will comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us and gave us through his grace a wonderful hope and comfort that has no end.” II Thessalonians 2:16-17 ERV

Counting my blessings today – my relationship with my heavenly Father is the first thing on my heart followed by my family.

I am grateful for the full and rich life I have!