simply trusting in His love

Maybe it’s because all the leaves are gone that I’ve begun to notice these dying trees scattered around our place. There is one characteristic that they all have in common. Loss of bark. In some of the trees only small sections of bark have pulled away; others are almost completely bare…and virtually, empty of all life.

The purpose of the bark is to protect the tree. If it begins to fall away the tree is left exposed to all sorts of microbial in the air, insects, and weather conditions. 

Many times the underlying cause to this loss of protection lies under ground in the root system.

I am finding a protection in Christ. 

A protection from those ‘microbial’ thoughts that bring disease and death. And it lies under ground in my root system.

Do I trust in the Father’s love for me? Do I joyfully except ALL from His hand because I know he has my very best at heart? 

The fruit of Love is trust. And that trust will be my protection. 

Every time I do not trust in His Love, but choose to doubt His goodness; a piece of bark falls off and I am exposed to the enemies attacks. 

What a haven from the enemy is found if we are simply trusting in His Love! 

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

the overflowing life

I want an overflowing life; I want to be refreshing to those around me.

But where does the overflow come from? That overflow that spills over to revive and refresh…the overflow comes from the fullness within.

 A life full of Christ and empty of me.

As I watch the rain gently fall the Lord shows me the secret to this full and overflowing life.

I set a pitcher out in the rain and watched as it began to fill and then overflow.

I notice how still the pitcher stands gathering in all that water. In it falls drop after drop and I realize it would not be so full and overflowing if it were moving.

In reality pitchers can not move, but people can. We can run around and get soaking wet but never really full. A soaking wet life is not a life that blesses others. You are the only one benefited from that kind of life. 

If we want to live the full life that God intended for His children, we must learn to become still. Even with our outer man busy with daily responsibilities we can find this stillness continually

in our inner man. 

This is the stillness of soul in which the Spirit can minister not only to you, but those around you. 

beauty instead of the brown

Today I went for a walk with my camera and ended up in a field, a field of death, a field of brown.

My camera has set on the shelf for the past few days. I haven’t found much inspiration from the prominent color of brown that greets my eyes every time I walk out the door.

But here I am, surrounded by it.

It is a challenge; can I find beauty in this?

The lens that zooms close uncovers the beauty, and I begin to see life instead of the death, beauty instead of the brown. 

The veil of brown has risen from my eyes… and all the sudden, this field is alive! 

It is the seeds that catch my eye. In these tiny pods are next summers beauties.  

All spring, summer, and fall these plants have grown. Now is the time of their death.

Withered and colorless they may appear, but the life they hold is precious. It is summers promise which  winters cold winds will wring free. 

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.- John 12:24

strength to praise

 I glance around one Sunday morning as we sing…

Here we are in your presence, Lifting holy hands to You,
Here we are praising Jesus, For the things He’s brought us through

I see the hands stretched high; they are beautiful to me for I know what they let go of to reach up.

The mother whose daughter has 8 full body seizures a day and constant pain.

That sister who has seen the death of her hearts desire, but continues to hope.

A father who has lost a child.

The couple who is shunned from earthly family, but chose to gladly forsake all earthly ties for the sake of knowing Him. 

These saints praise their Father even though what their eyes long to see, is not what is seen ...

but in its place a greater gift develops… Faith to trust, Hope to labor on, strength to praise.

There is a sweet fragrance in this place... I too am stirred to praise.

Pots of Gold

Ordinary things become beautiful when the sun touches them.

Take for example hay.

No, normally it's not very pretty; quite itchy actually. I was sitting on a round ball with my donkeys grazing around me when the sun peeked over the trees and came spilling into the barn.

The hay turned gold in the sun’s light and soon after a prism of color bent to kiss a single blade poking up above the rest.     

  “So this is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...a pile of hay”, I laughed to myself.

But it's true, the one ingredient that changes the ordinary into the extraordinary is the SON.

The light of His face brings beauty to all things. 

To dishes, and diapers.

 To dirty floors, and piles of laundry.

 Take the things you lest enjoy, set them in the SON, and be AMAZED!