praise time

 ‘I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.’ Psalm 122:1

 

I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.’

Yet, the times of praise & fellowship are constant and unending.

In times past, there was a set time to go to the house of the LORD.

Thankfully, we who have been saved by the blood of Jesus, have now become the house of the LORD

‘Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?’ I Corinthians 3:16

This is not to negate the need for corporate fellowship: ‘Let us not neglect our meeting together…’  (Hebrews 10:25) Rather it is to emphasize: we may be in the house of the LORD – anywhere

 

Today – whether you are attending a church service in a building, watching online or having a personal and private time of individual worship, know that it is a privilege to be with LORD.

Jesus made that possible!

 

‘Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift [which is precious beyond words].’

II Corinthians 9:15AMP

LOVE: LOVE & INTIMACY PT I

Good Evening Friends!

We are past the midpoint of the week!

I pray you had an absolutely wonderful day

It is rainy here in Virginia Beach but I am still full of energy.

I have this wonderful sense that God is in the midst of doing something – PHENOMENAL!

I am also excited to continue our discussion on LOVE

Today’s topic: LOVE & INTIMACY PT I

NOW – I will ask you to bear with me today since I will be tackling this subject from a somewhat different angle than I might ordinarily. I would like to talk about some of the things that contribute to a loss of intimacy with God.

FOR ME – the most recent & applicable example that comes to mind would be my own life

AND – contrary to what it might appear on this blog, I am actually a very private person

SO – this will be a bit of a stretch for me

It all started the beginning of last year –

Ok, it actually began well before that, but last year is when it all began to really unravel. However, I should have known it was going to be an eventful year. Four days in – January 2018 – we had some of the worst snow our region has had in some time. And, unable to get to my mom’s by car, my son and I walked about five miles in twelve inches of snow in subfreezing temps. We both had hypothermia by the time we reached her place at midnight.

But that was just the beginning –

That wonderful experience was followed by an unexpected and substantial financial reversal; then my mom was removed from her home by family and thrown into a horrendous nursing home [a stay which started with individuals telling me that if I did not meet their demands, I would never see her again and ending with her being abused while she was in said facility]. This was followed by the death of my seventeen year old Min-Pin, more financial setbacks, a hospitalization for my mom [with a notice that we needed to look into hospice care] and then her being forced into another less than satisfactory facility.

The LORD finally enabled me to get her somewhere safer in December. But, the challenges throughout the year were somewhat surreal. I even went to counseling at one point – figuring that it would be a bit hypocritical of me if I did not at least give it a try [being that I am studying Psychology with a focus on Christian Counseling]. Well, two sessions in – with my counselor on the couch with tears in her eyes and me sitting in the chair giving her feedback on her business – I thought to myself, ‘Something is wrong with this picture; something really is not right here!’

I had to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. But truthfully, it was no laughing matter. Depression had taken a devastating and crippling grip on me. I recall my sister [who was accustomed to me being the encouraging faith-filled one] telling me at one point, ‘You are starting to scare me.’ My response – ‘I am starting to scare myself!’

I say all that to say – Life can hit you hard sometimes.

And if you are not careful, it can destroy your intimacy with God.

There is a saying –

Never get too tired, too hungry or too thirsty

I would probably add to that ‘too lonely, too frustrated and too isolated’ as well

I shared yesterday that we run the risk [and actually face the high probability] of losing intimacy with God when we lose focus, get distracted, stop listening and stop communicating

When there are multiple distractions crashing around you, it is easy to lose focus.

Sometimes, you can scarcely catch your breath before another wave of challenge hits

However, it is in those moments that we must be intentional about fixing our eyes on Jesus.

This is done through spending time with Him.

I know this is not an easy task –

As far as communication goes, there were days when I could only whisper, ‘Jesus, help me please’

There are days when all I could do is weep

Yet any way that you can find to stay connected to Him is worth the effort.

One of the worst effects of losing intimacy is when you start trying to find other things to fill the void; a God-sized hole that only the LORD Himself can fill. And the vain attempts to fill it with anything [or anyone] else can – in a bad situation – lead to the development of sinful habits; and – in a worse situation – can lead to despondency and a feeling of utter hopelessness and numbness. It can become a vicious cycle – like a whirlpool spinning you around, tossing you to and fro, all the while pulling you deeper and deeper into a dark spiritual abyss.

THANKFULLY THERE IS NO HOLE TOO DEEP,

WHERE THE LOVE OF GOD CANNOT REACH … AND RESCUE

No physical, spiritual or emotional pit is too great for the LORD

That is what He did for me

It would take several posts to explain it in detail;

But, the important think for you to know is this:

When you have reached a point that you feel you cannot hold onto faith,

     That is when faith holds on to you

You see – this relationship with the LORD, this intimacy; It is not one-sided.

He longs for that closeness and connection every bit as much as we do

And He is willing to fight for it … He loves you that much

§  ‘The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you … [He] will rejoice over you with singing.’ Zephaniah 3:17

§  While we were yet sinners [lost, trapped and without hope], Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

§  He rescues from the miry pit. Psalm 40:2

§  ‘To all who mourn …He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.’ Isaiah 61:3

BUT EVERY RELATIONSHIP IS TWO-SIDED

AND YOU MUST DO YOUR PART TO MAINTAIN INTIMACY

§  Talk to Him – speak, write, sing, pray, cry … scream if you must [He can handle it]

§  Be Real – even if some of the frustration you feel is toward Him [trust me, He already knows]

§  Keep Seeking Him – even if you can only read one sentence

§  In my book, When Storms Rage, I note: When you cannot see God or hear God or feel God – you should read God. You will find His voice and you will find His character and nature there

Do whatever you must but never stop pursuing intimacy with God ..

Praying You Have a Blessed Evening

Wishing You Much Love …

LOVE: SELFLESSLY PROVIDES

Good Evening Friends!

I pray you have had a great day and weekend

It is Super Bowl Sunday here in the US – basically another national holiday for most of us

My guys are all upstairs, watching the game, eating food and having drinks

I will join them in a few minutes. But first I had to post this message.

And yes, I am spending one more day on this concept of STORGE/FAMILY LOVE

It is the love which has been manifesting in my home all weekend.

It is a blessing having three sons.

Nothing gives me greater joy than when I hear what I hear tonight.

I am downstairs in my room typing away

And they are laughing and conversing and just enjoying the company of one another.

That joy will only be multiplied once any of them gets married and our family expands.

I once asked my middle son – quite some time ago – when he was going to start dating

His response was shocking as he looked me square in my eyes and said, ‘Mom, I am a selfish being. I like to spend my time the way I want to spend my time; I like to spend my money the way I want to spend my money and I am not willing to compromise right now. So, why get into a relationship and frustrate someone and have them frustrate me?”

I was completely taken aback at his declaration – 

However, I had to give him give points for being honest & candid

YET – the truth of the matter is that he is anything but selfish

He is one of the most generous and responsible people I know.

Without intending to do so, he has modeled my love message for today.

He possesses a love which selflessly looks toward the needs of others.

NOW – do I believe he still likes to spend his time & money the way he desires? YES!

HOWEVER – he lovingly places those desires second when he recognizes a greater need.

He is a pretty special man!

·         He understands the importance of a man looking after his own family: Taking to heart [even if unconsciously] that one who does not provide for his own family is worse than an infidel [I Timothy 5:8]

·         He demonstrates a love which lays down personal desires: He repeatedly esteems others more than himself. [Philippians 2:3]

·         He puts action behind his love: He embodies Philippians 2:4 which reminds and encourages believers: ‘Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.’

All of these qualities are so important in a family

It demonstrates how LOVE SELFLESSLY PROVIDES

I am truly blessed … and so very thankful

Praying You Have a Blessed Evening and Week!

Wishing You Much Love …

“A new command I give you; Love one another.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

LOVE: WHILE YOU CAN ...

Good Morning Friends

I pray your day is off to a great start – February 1, 2019

I continually find myself saying, ‘The older I get, the faster it goes’

However, I think it might be time for me to adopt a new saying when time passing:

‘Thank You God for the time; help me make the rest count’

I was going to move off our focus on STORGE/FAMILY LOVE

However, I believe I am going to spend one more day there – TODAY

WHY? Because it is so important to … LOVE WHILE YOU CAN

My cousin passed away yesterday morning; he was fifty-one years old. I think that is young. However, I might feel that way because he was only three years older than me. We were all more like siblings than cousins when we were growing up. He called my mom his second mom. My last contact with him before New Year’s Day was in December when he told me he would be coming to see her soon. He truly loved her. Yet, even with all his love for her, he was not able to make that last visit.

Tomorrow is not promised to any of us – the next moment is not promised to any of us

That is why it is important to – LOVE WHILE YOU CAN

Many people have been commenting on my cousin’s amazing smile.

And he did have an absolutely amazing smile!

That glint in his eye, the crinkle of his nose and then there was that dimple on his cheek.

His smile was infectious and you could not help but smiling yourself in response.

But why share this with my online friends who did not know him?

It is important to focus on loving family while you can & letting them know.

Family love [and love in general] is a precious gift – but one which can easily be taken for granted.

Therefore, it is important to be intentional about loving and expressing love

Take time to appreciate the little things that you love about people – and let them know

It is so important to express love –

Whether it is a kind word, a loving act, a thoughtful gift, a heartfelt hug or a listening ear

And this does not just apply to family love – it carries over into all areas of love

It is great to express the love you had and will continue to hold onto

However, you will never know the full impact of expressing the love you have – TODAY

LOVE EVERY CHANCE YOU CAN – seizing every opportunity to express love

LOVE BECAUSE YOU CAN – recognizing it is a gift from God to have people to love

LOVE WHILE YOU CAN – understanding there is no greater present like the present

Praying You Have a Blessed Day!

Wishing You Much Love …

“A new command I give you; Love one another.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

LOVE: IT'S A FAMILY THING

Good Morning Friends

Happy Thursday!

Hard to believe we are at the end of January already.

The older I get, the faster the time seems to go

Nevertheless, I hope you are enjoying your week

I also pray you are enjoying our focus on LOVE

It has been great to spend some time focusing on the love of God. Now, we are certainly not done with this most important facet of love. However, today we will be focusing on a different type – STORGE (pronounced stor-JAY).

What is STORGE?

One online definition labels it as a: ‘familial love [which] refers to natural or instinctual affection, such as the love of a parent towards offspring and vice versa …; a wide-ranging force which can apply between family members, friends, pets and owners, companions or colleagues.’

Why is it important?

This type of love [storge] is actually not mentioned in the Bible in its root form. There is a compound usage [philostorgos] and the opposite form [astorgos] mentioned in the Bible twice [in the context of storge love being lacking and the effects on humanity]. And, it is not mentioned in the Old Testament at all. However, the concept of STORGE was present from the start. Yes, if we look back to the beginning of creation, we find that one of the first actions that God took after the creation was to create – A FAMILY. 

He decided it was not good for Adam to be alone and He gave him Eve, to be his wife.  What a precious gift they both received – to have an established network, an instant support system and, a place to call home – and not just in the sense of a residence. Have you ever been in the presence of someone and it felt just like ‘home’? And it does not occur solely within biological families. Looking back to our definition, I can look at each of those areas and thank God that I have been blessed with friends, pets and colleagues who all became every bit as much family to me as my direct family members.

So why was it important to God?

I believe the focus on creating a unit where storge/family love could be present was important because that was the ultimate goal all along. The LORD desired for us to know the value of family, to experience the love within family, to be a part of His family.

This picture below is one my favorite pictures from travels with my children when they were younger - probably because it is a bunch of boys ... being boys. It is an image of them on the shoreline with their cousins. You would think they were all fast and furious friends, on yet another adventure. However, these were distant cousins whom they had only ever seen once before. It was during a trip to Panama. I had decided – long after my ex-husband and I had separated – to take my sons to go meet the other side of their family. I felt it was important – and it is a decision that I have never regretted.

I still remember the day we arrived for our vacation. There was a small ‘tribe’ at the airport to greet us [three van loads]! I recall my youngest, grabbing hold of my hand and asking with amazement, and possibly a bit of trepidation, ‘Are all those people here to meet us?’ Yes – I responded – THAT’S FAMILY!

NOW – I realize that not every family situation is filled with love and loving moments. However, family love was prototype before people and life situations got damaged by the effects of sin.

YET – It is still such a precious prize.

FAMILY LOVE

If you do not have this family love – realize that it is available in so many other relationships.

Although not his biological child, Timothy became so much like family to the Apostle Paul that Paul referred to him as ‘his own son’ (I Timothy 1:2). Likewise, David and Jonathan shared a closeness that surely superseded the closeness that either of them shared with their biological siblings; scripture noting ‘Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul’ (I Samuel 18:1). And then there is Ruth and Naomi; Ruth declaring her loyalty, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go … your people will be m people and your God, my God.’ [Ruth 1:16] This type of family love can be developed in many ways.

If you have this family love – cherish it, nourish it and fight for it. Reflect on the characteristics of love and employ them within the family, remembering, ‘Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.’ [I Cor. 13:4-7] It is this type of love, cultivated within a family – freely given and willingly accepted – which helps build the foundation for individuals to become loving people inside and outside of the family unit.

Praying You Have a Blessed Day!

Wishing You Much Love …