Amazing Love How Can It Be That You My God Should Die For Me

I am filled with complete overwhelming joy of the love that Jesus displays for me daily. Yet as I reflect the life He led and the choice He made to save me I become speechless. So often we speak of the cross and we proclaim that a Savior died for our sins yet I am not sure we go to the great length of comprehending just what He did for us.

Last night I was blessed to sit down with 2 sisters and read through the crucifixion as well as watch a scene that can only act out the horrendous death that our Lord went through for you and for me. As I was reading through what took place and all that our Lord was going through the thing that stuck out to me the most was when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus said this:
"Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." Luke 22:42
Wow! I was blown away and speechless! Jesus knew what was ahead of Him. He knew the cup of suffering He was about to drink and yet the love He had for you and I caused Him to drink that cup of suffering. Jesus realized that you and I were found unrighteous in the sight of God. Jesus understood that if He didn't die and atone for our sins that we could never stand in the presence of God.

Amazing love how can it be that you my God should die for me...

Jesus made the choice that He loved us enough to die to His self that we might have eternal life.That my friends is the standard of perfection and we all know that none of us even on our best day can live to that standard. You and I are sinners, we in our flesh can not meet the standard of perfection no matter how hard we try. In our sin God loves us enough to offer a way that we can commune and be in His presence. Sweet friend would you take a moment today and thank the Lord that you are loved. Not just this feeling of love that we humans throw around but the agape love that left His perfect home and drank from a cup of suffering that we could not even comprehend. This is love! You are loved! Would you accept this free gift of love and salvation today. Would you go forth and share this great love that Jesus has not just for you and I but for the entire world as well.

The Unlovable

I am not sure how you were raised but in my home I know for certain my brothers were taught to treat woman with respect and kindness. We too as woman were taught to offer that same respect back. I know that living in 2014 it doesn't always look like that. There are so many hurting and lost people that they don't respect anyone or even themselves. For most people they walk around with a sense of entitlement to everything, They want respect but wont give it, they expect kindness but don't offer it and they think that everyone and everything should be offered to them just because.... Do you know anyone like this? Maybe there is no one in your close circle who act or treat you without respect but I know you run into them at the store or on the road. They're the ones who cut you off and then throw their hands in the air as if you did something wrong. They're  the ones who allow the door to slam on you rather then holding it open for you. We call these people the unlovable.
 
    I call them the unlovable because truly it's hard to love these people who are mean and unkind. If we were to be really honest we'd admit we want to scream back and sometimes we'd even want to show them the same amount of disrespect as they have shown to us.
This morning someone cut me off, stole the parking spot I was going to pull into and then slammed the door in my face. Talk about a triple whammy! I was speechless. In my flesh I was ready to give this person common courtesy and respect 101, and then I felt the Holy Spirit close my mouth. No doubt I was frustrated but quickly Because of the Spirit I realized that I too am the unlovable....
It was in my ugliest moments and darkest days where the Lord reached me where I was and loved me. He not only loved me then in my ugliest but He has never stopped offering and showing me love as I still have my moments of being unlovable.

    Jesus won us over by His love that He displayed on the cross. He gave Himself for us when we were still sinners in our darkest and ugliest moments. His love drew us to Him. I think that as we display God's love to the unlovable they too will be won over by this great love. A love that love's unconditionally and with no bounds. I came to the conclusion that I have a lot to learn from Jesus and with out Him I can do no good thing. I am so thankful that the more I hangout with Him the more I'll look like Him.
John 15:12
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. :-)

Kombucha Anyone?

Kombucha anyone? I love the taste of kombucha, however I have found that there are many who don't. Kombucha is a Chinese probiotic drink that has so many health benefits for us. I have even drank a fruit kombucha smoothie, yum! Its a great way to pump probiotics into your kiddos. Some great health benefits that come along with kombucha are:

• Increase of metabolism
• Detoxify the liver
• Improve digestion
• Rebuilds the connective tissue- helps with arthritis, gout, asthma and rheumatism
• Cancer prevention
• Reduces blood pressure
• Relieves headaches and migraines
• Improves eyesight
• Eczema and skin clear up

And the list goes on friends. I challenge you to bring kombucha into your home and see if your health improves. If you have any recipes you'd like to share using kombucha please do in the comment box below :-)

The desires of her heart

Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

This is Athena she is 7. She decided she wanted to take her laundry outside and hand wash her clothes and hang them on a close line using close pins to dry. If you ever get a chance to chat with her about what she wants to do when shes older she will tell you about the many children she wants to adopt. She"ll speak of the farm she wants to live on and how she cant wait to home school her kids and take them on many field trips around the world to teach them about History. As I was watching Athena I began to think about Psalm 37:4 and how the Lord has placed those desires in her heart as He knit her together in my womb and as she seeks after Him those desires will begin to grow and grow and develop into the way she will serve the Lord. Isn't the Lord so amazing! The same is for you and I. We are created in His image with different desires all for His glory and our good. Our true joy and contentment will come in our lives when we seek after Him and those desires begin to unfold. Seek after Jesus my friend! :-)

Pointing to peace

Isaiah 32:18-20 NLT

My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes in undisturbed places of rest. Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be sowing your seeds by every stream and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.

Personally my home doesn't have a T.V. and I honestly like it that way. It was a few years ago when I heard the Lord prompting me to take a step out in faith and do something that didn't seem normal in the culture we live in today. Can I just say that we as a family have been blessed by listening to the Lord. This writing however is not about T.V however it is about the Peace that God wants us to have. As you turn on your T.V to listen to the local and global news your mind may start wondering and thinking “what is this world coming to”? That’s understandable. For me I have seen that as I communicate with a lot of non believers they seem to be frazzled as to what is going on in this world we live in today. What they read about and what they see just seems so horrible, and I couldn't agree more with them it is horrible. Nonetheless everything going on today is nothing new to God and it all has a will and a purpose to play…..

Praise God that our hope is not in this world. I am so blessed that no matter what is going on around me no matter what war breaks out and what law is passed my family will remain in peace. Please don’t misunderstand me I don’t say that with an attitude as of no care for the person who doesn't know Christ and doesn't have that peace. No, my heart is burdened for that person who speaks of the cares of this world with worry rather then hope. So what must we do with this burden for the hopeless and peace less? We pray, we reach out and we give answers when the opportunity arises. This isn't like a school test where giving answers is cheating, this is life or death. We have and hold the answer that this world is searching for and His name is Jesus the Prince of Peace and He can be found living in you and I. Today may I encourage you to ask the Lord how you can point others to Him and His everlasting unchangeable word! 

Paralyzed with fear

Psalms 143:4

I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear.

The bible tells us that the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear but rather we are victors in Him. Fear is something that can hinder us from fully experiencing all that God has for us

I took my son out on his new bike that he was blessed with this Saturday. Prior he was stoked! He was given this awesome bike that he just couldn't get on fast enough. As I placed it on the sidewalk for him to climb up his bright excited eyes began to look droopy and fearful. I said hop on Son, He said no… Why not? Because I’m scared, that’s too hard. I can’t do it! “Sure you can buddy, Ill be right here with you and I wont let go until you say you’re ready”. “Nope mom, I don’t want to fall off”…

What happened to my son often happens to us right? I’m sure we have all felt like him before. When God presents something to us as a blessing and a new opportunity for showing fruit and growth in our lives we get excited and then suddenly when we start thinking of all the possibilities of failure and thinking it looks to challenging we allow fear to paralyze us and keep us from moving forward in all that God has in store. Of course we can’t do it alone and of course we may fall trying; however just like I would never leave him during this time he is learning how to ride a bike how much more would our Heavenly Father never leave us nor forsake us.

As I was telling my son “Buddy trust mom” I heard the Lord whisper, “daughter would you trust me”…. So I want to ask, what is God asking you to trust Him in today? Maybe He is calling you to walk on water like Peter, Maybe it’s a new ministry, maybe He is calling you to do something that looks crazy to this world however it’s in His plan and will for your life. Or maybe He is calling you like He called Paul to turn from his life he had always known and surrender to Him today. Whatever God is asking you to trust Him in may I encourage that you to do so. Keep your eyes on Him and nothing else. Don’t look at the challenges you’ll face and all of the opportunities of failure. May I remind you this God that is calling us to trust Him is the UNFAILING God, He has never failed and He won’t stop now and He loves us more then we love our own children. He is the same God that defeated death and saved you and I. Sisters, may we choose to trust God in whatever he is calling us to do today.