I am not talking about baskets, chocolates and eggs.....

Or bunnies or picnics or even gigantic church services. I am talking about your heart. Easter-time should be a season of preparing ourselves to embrace Jesus. His life. His ministry. His words. His death. His resurrection! It is a time of reflection. Evaluation. Confession. Restoration. Redirection. We need to realign our wills with Gods will so that we can say with Jesus, "not my will, but yours be done." so often I think we hit cruise control, spiritually speaking, and we forget to stop and consider the magnitude of what God has done for us. We get lazy and forget our resolve to do what Jesus would do, say what Jesus would say, go where Jesus would go.........we forget to be his hands and his feet and to remain intimately connected to the body. We lose our focus on Him; then we lose our purpose. We start to find worth and fulfillment in temporal things-a yummy dinner, a clean home (as if that ever happens here!), or career success, our vacation plans or our checkbook.....or even how many friends we have on facebook! Easter is a blessed reminder in our year that we have been given new life. Jesus' life! We have been given new power-the power of the holy spirit who is living in me! Let's take a look at where we are. Things all peachy in your spiritual life lately? Or maybe they feel 'a little off,' but you feel that conviction rising up in you to embrace a new day today, walking with Jesus! know it has to happen to everyone during certain times. In April we can find loads of distractions, and little time to step aside and fellowship with our heavenly father. I think He is up to something! I think He gets our attention in different ways through our lives so that we will wake up out of our 'happy little worldly home' fog, and step into the bright light of His presence and ask Him to search our hearts, What will he find? When we look at our lives He looks with us. Not surprised by anything he sees. Do we dare take him there? Show him the beauties and also the uglies? Do we really want to see our inner selves as he sees us? Then much is required. He calls for surrender to his lordship.....meaning you get off the throne in your life.....see and embrace and enjoy the Savior and that will lead you to fulfilling your life's calling! Oh yes, this takes work. Being done with sin is a hard thing to do, especially if they have become bad habits, or all of our other sweet Christian mommies do this so it must be fine, justifying treasuring up some sin in our hearts that Jesus really wants us to get rid of, and find freedom, and experience true joy that comes from that continual community with the Lord Jesus. Has knowing Jesus changed your life? What has he called you to? Are you where you are supposed to be or is God gonna grab your sweet hand and put you on the path that is best for you!

Easter is coming, are you ready?

What is your NET?

Today I was reading the gospel of Matthew with my kids. You know the story. The guys had been out fishing all day. They caught nothing. They were super tired. Jesus comes by and says to "throw the nets in again" and they are like, "SAY WHAT???" (again, Jodi version). And of course, then comes the miracle. They obey Him, throw their nets back into the 'empty' water, and they can barely raise them into the boat, they are full to overflowing with fish that were not there before.

This story makes me wonder. What is Jesus asking me to do that I am resisting, and telling Him, "SAY WHAT???" And have I obeyed and watched for the miracle? Have you? I can't help but think of what I am missing by telling Jesus, "nope, there are no fish here...." and not stopping to consider that He might know something I don't know (duh). It also reminds me of the prayer of Jabez. Remember him?

In 1 Chronicles 4:10, we read:"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested."

I wonder what grief and pain we face because we don't believe Jesus and obey Him? I wonder what blessings we are missing because we are not asking? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Ask, and it shall be given; Seek, and you shall find." Are we asking? Are we seeking? Or have we relied too much on our own understanding and given up on Jesus' (divine) suggestions? To fish here. Again? Let's obey. Let's ask. Let's seek. And then, lets share and celebrate the miracles He WILL bring forth!

Making Mosaics

I attended our women's ministry retreat last weekend. We talked about how God is making a mosaic with our life. He is using the beauties of the lightness and the beauties of the darkness to come together to be a work of art. I want to take that thought one step further. If we are moms, and most of us are, we know that we are fellow-workers with God in making more beautiful mosaics! I have three mosaic beauties that I am privileged to be co-laboring on with God. I watch as they grow, make choices, take on attitudes and opinions, experience joy, sorrow, pain. And I see it. God is doing something in their little lives. He is in the details. He cares about the boo boo that needs to be kissed. He notices the wonderful job she did on her presentation. He sees the frustration at being the littlest. None of this slips past God's heart. And, as an added bonus, these small human treasures have Moms who consider it an honor to be working with the Master Craftsman on His greatest creation of all time~a beautiful, God-loving, God-glorifying human being!

So what do we contribute? We can make the darks darker or lighter. We can help them see the light through their tears. We can bring comfort while they are waiting, tired, longing for Home, where there will be no more pain. We can speak truth into their lives when they are afraid. When they don't know which way to go, we can share our wisdom and guide them to the good road. We can live a bright and beautiful mosaic of our own so that they are attracted to the way of life that we have chosen. Then we can model the attitudes and actions that have gotten us to a place of reflective beauty. And, we can let them see us when we hurt. We can let them watch us in our struggle and pain. Allow them to see us crawl to Jesus and beg of Him for relief, yet all with the understanding that above all, YOUR WILL BE DONE. How we handle trials speaks loudly of our faith. Do we cling to Jesus. Do we continue to relate in prayer? And Worship? And Fellowship? In order to lead a child to the abundant life, we must be a-livin' in it ourselves! Are we indeed abiding? Living daily in his presence. Delighting in His word, his truth. Sharing our faith with those who do not know Him. Being filled with the Fruit of the Spirit and carrying the Armor of God? Are we fully equipped to live in this world and raise up our children to become beautiful mosaics of God's continued faithfulness from generation to generation?

That'll be the day!!!

Psalm 17:15

"And I-in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness."

Are we living for that day? It could be sooner than we think. Are we living in righteousness so that we will be prepared to see Jesus face to face? Are we walking with Him day to day, ready to meet Him at any turn? We should be. Our lives should be lived in readiness, so that if he appears (like in a twinkling of an eye!) we are blessed to see Him and He is blessed to receive us!!!

So often I think we forget what Jesus was trying to say when he was explaining how He wants us to treat one another. Do you remember the sheep and the goats? "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.....The king will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"

I believe that He was giving us an example of how we should love one another. This is a follow up to the greatest commandment, 'Love God AND love one another' (jodi version). My hypothesis is that we can love God BY loving one another well. This puts skin on those commands to feed the hungry and thirsty, to clothe those who are needy and to give help to the hurting. We all most likely have many 'one another's' in our lives. That means we have many many opportunities to 'love Jesus' by loving well those whom He has placed in our paths. He is watching. He sees when we love in His way with His strength. And He smiles. He enjoys us when we are enjoying serving Him (by cleaning the dirty hands of a three year old, or giving someone your last apple you were saving for yourself, or sharing your favorite pair of boots, or taking care of someone who is sick for days on end........). May God give us the strength to love others like Jesus did, and let Jesus love others through us, using our hands and feet, our treasures and resources. For in fact, they all belong to Him, anyhow. Oh, how we should delight when we recognize that we are partnering with God in the mission of Jesus Christ to bring men to know Him and love Him and therefore share in joy and expectant living; always looking forward to His coming!

life today

How about focusing on the day's itty bitty joys instead of its sorrows? How 'bout making some fun mud pies with the mud the world flings at ya? Let's give it a shot.

The breeze today felt beachy and the temperature was perfect. The grass was smooth and soft on bare feet. Friends gathered to talk about love, life, Jesus. Big kids helped little kids. Hot Yummy pizza. Playing with arts and crafts to create mini mosaic masterpieces. Baseball. Dance. Jr. High Youth group. Balloons from the dollar store. Homemade chocolate chip cookies. When you put it like that, the day doesn't look so bad after all, does it?

Growing in Joy (some more)

I have a feeling that God is up to something under the surface in my heart. He is growing Joy. Not the joy from some warm fuzzy feeling, or the joy from a happy sunny day, or the joy from a child's laughter or the joy of a new born babe. Nope. This joy is different. It is like a fullness and assurance of hope. It is the presence of Jesus with me. It is his hug to me, his gentle encouragement, his reminder of undying love. It is Him being my comfort in pain. Him giving me rest. Him lighting my path, guiding my steps. It is Him walking with me. Him sharing my hurt, bearing my burden. Him fellowshipping with me. No, I am not worthy. But somehow, in his heart of hearts, God made a way. Jesus. He came to me. He remains. He will forever be. He is life. He is the fullness. He is the Joy. And He is MINE. Beloved, do you know Him?