Wives Submit!?! Seriously...What does that really mean?

I am both excited and nervous to share this with you. I have had more than a few moments when I thought to myself, "Why in the world did you volunteer for this topic?!" 

ephesians 5:21-33: wives and husbands

I know why I chose it. I speak and teach on this topic every year. So this should be easy right? No. No. And No again! (Insert me shaking my head and a lovely face palm)

Writing and speaking are so very different. When you are speaking or teaching on a topic there are moments for conversation and questions. Further probing of a topic and my tone and inflection come through.

 In writing, I fear people that do not really know me will miss-hear my intent. I know this is a tricky topic and the Lord knows it has been a nasty subject in my life from time to time.

I know that people have different circumstances and walks of marriage, but this is just our story for you.

I pray it encourages you. We have had our good times and bad mind you, but what an amazing walk this has been with the man that only God could have chosen for me since I had such a nasty broken radar for losers.

I also encourage you to check out more from the Ephesians project at  Bibledude.net. It has been a blessing to join this amazing team of living it out writers and bloggers for Christ. 

Will you take a moment and check out my post on this tricky topic of submission?  

Wives and Husbands (Click it)

God Bless you greatly friends!

Good to the Last Yummy Drop...From the archives

Greetings! I have missed you my friends. I hope your new year has started well. Ours has started out a bit rough, but God has amazing plans and sometimes they require us to go through the valley for a bit. 

We are however, being careful to not stop off at the "pits of despair" , but trudge on with God leading the way. (Did you catch that Princess Bride fans?;) I am sorry I could not resist.

Anyways, I was making some jam the other day and it reminded me of my very first post. It's a good reminder in hard times and in great times. God's love never fails and never runs out on us.

I hope this encourages you today.

Mmmm...mmm...mmmmm

Finger licking good.

Have you ever had this moment?

I was watching my son drink his hot cocoa and trying very hard to not giggle and call attention to him, but he was so intent. We were having a special treat and had ordered some yummy peppermint hot cocoas at a coffee shop. 

He was definitely having a "good to the last drop" moment... 

And we can add "finger licking good" to it as well. 

He had drained every drop from his cup, but upon noticing the reticent creamy foam and peppermint pieces stuck to the edges of the inside of his cup, he proceeded to stick his finger into the cup gliding it around and then licking the delicious remnants from it. 

 He was one sticky happy mess. (I mean it... There was a whole lot of mess stuck to his happy face.)

Now, mind you, this is not proper behavior at home or in public, but my goodness he was so intent. I just smiled and watched him enjoy his moment of cocoa glee. 

It's good to have those moments as a parent.

Today just a few days later, I found myself scraping the bottom of a pan with great fervor. I had made a batch of four berry jam and it tasted so good that it was frustrating me when so much was still stuck to the sides of the pan. I am telling you friends, I was a woman on a mission. 

I did not want one bit to go to waste.

And then it hit me.

How would my relationship with the Lord be different if each day I approached Him like the peppermint cocoa or this batch of four berry jam?

I know my Lord is the most wonderful person in my life. His love is sweet. He is my only source of strength and life with Him has been the best I could have ever imagined. 

Before Him my life was full of empty pursuits. Depression, loneliness, and disappointments plagued me. 

It was empty. 

No matter what I tried I could never fill it or keep it full of joy or peace.

Now I am full. My life is full. “He completes me.” Yes, I just used the cheesy Jerry McGuire movie quote, but it’s true.

Knowing all of this. Why is it that I have times in my life where I do not pursue Him with the same fervor, of “Good to the last drop” ?

Why am I not scraping each day for every extra moments of praise or prayer time like I did with that jam pan?

Or digging into my Bible to glean every new morsel from the Lord that I can like my son did with his cup of hot cocoa?

You see the deeper I dig into His word and the further I experience and learn about who He is, I find Him all the more sweet. He is absolutely amazing! 

More full of depth, more satisfying, and never ending in His supply to my needs. 

Just a quick read of Psalm 103 and we all should be in awe of everything that He does and is to us. 

Would you take some time today friends and read Psalm 103? 

Grab some paper and a pen and write down every action He takes for us and the different character traits listed about Him. 

Won't you taste and see that He truly is "Good to the last drop"? 

The best part is... His supply of love, power, and grace for us never runs out. 

By the way...Love this song! Give it a play while you read Psalm 103.

And if you feel led, share in the comments the character trait or action that you see God working in your life right now. 

Let's encourage each other friends.

God Bless

Open Doors... When Love Came Down

I have been pondering open doors lately…

Open doors that are spilling forth their warm inviting glow to the world outside. Their beautiful light beckoning you to come one, come all. Doors that are open to new possibilities... Open to new friendships.

Open doors…

There are moments when our churches doors were open and they came.

Seeking help.  Seeking comfort. Seeking a ride, an ear to hear their story, heat from the cold, hope from despair, life from death…

All because of open doors.

Am I an open door? Am I approachable no matter the person?

I remember those nights when they have wandered in.

The wife whose husband left her with no money, and no home.

The teen with his scars bared for all to see and who had nowhere to go.

The young woman pregnant, stranded, and exhausted from walking.

They were each met with open doors.

They were each plunged into the warmth and love of Christ.

Are our doors open?

When Love came down. 

He chose to come as a helpless babe. He came poor and with nowhere to stay, and sadly the doors were all closed, but He was the HOPE for us all.

He is the Open Door for each and every one of us to reach the Lord of Lords. He was God’s very own hand outstretched to each of us.

The greatest gift resided in an unwanted package. 

Poor and humble, yet he was a threat to kingdoms on high and to the religious authorities of the day. 

They sought to extinguish His flame here on earth.

Our  Jesus, 

our Open Door, 

calls us to be open doors as well…

To the least of these…

Matthew 25:34-40

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,

I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him,

 ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

 Let us be open doors without prejudice and without hindrance; with open arms letting the warm light of love spill forth welcoming them in.

This will require our time; our schedules to bend.  Our wallets will open, and our hearts may break, but there is great hope and beauty that can be found in relinquishing the “me” of our life’s focus and becoming the open door that Christ called us to be.

Hope is found there.

You may even meet Jesus in the eyes of those you minister too…

Will you join me each day in this prayer?

Lord you are amazing. You the creator of the Heavens and the earth; the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who came down to dwell with us here. 

You did not come in your riches and power, but as a poor and helpless baby.

 You experienced the hurts and the needs of our world despite the fact that you would receive no thanks or great accolades while here, 

only horrific abuse and a brutal death sentence.

You willingly died and sacrificed yourself for me. You loved me even though I would willfully turn away from you. 

You are my open door to a life abundant and free. A Life ever-lasting with you. Help me to remember each day that you have given me your ministry.

 Help me to have your eyes to see those needing your open doors. 

Give me the love and compassion to be your hands and feet.

To speak your words of love and grace with my actions as well as with my words.

 Help me Lord to be an open door for you.

2 Corinthians 5:18-21

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 

that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. 

We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.