Intimacy begins in the mind. It is our mind that makes the choices that govern our actions.
As a wife I am responsible to channel my thoughts towards my husband. My husband is to channel his thoughts towards me. Sometimes this takes effort. Sometimes it flows naturally.
When I have been offended or hurt by my darling husband (Yes, it does happen occasionally) it takes effort to turn my thoughts to him in a positive and loving way. The hurt can be forgiven immediately, but there are times when the the hurt leaves a wound that needs time to heal. It is a tenuous time while tending to the wound. Will he wait for the wound to heal? Will he find me cold and unwilling to get things back to our normal loving and intimate relationship, when in reality I am working hard to get back what was lost? I must believe he is questioning the same!
Of course there are times when we are in sync! We flow towards each other without effort. We desire to open ourselves and become vulnerable. We have no fear of being hurt because we trust and love one another completely. In these moments we have no questions as to the others intentions or commitment. We do not wonder if we understand each other. We know that we do.
I do wish there were never times when we close ourselves to each other out of fear of being hurt, but in this fallen world it happens much too often. The truth is that love remains. Love is strong between us because God is in our lives and God is love! It is Gods' love that draws me back to loving even when I hurt. It is Gods' love that binds us together.
Today is always a new day to work on healing the wounds and to turn our thoughts towards the other in love. Tomorrow things may flow because of the work we do today! Romance will come!
I see its sparkling shimmer just around the corner! I hope you do too!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tears
My thoughts today keep returning to a very sad question. Why? Why do people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ decide to accept the leadership of a man (or woman) who would willingly agree to killing a baby just because no one seems to want it? Just now I even had a hard time writing the word "It" to describe a human life.
It seems obvious to me that God wants the child to exist. He has imparted life to the baby and has made special plans for that baby. How can we as a society agree to the extermination of anyone, prebirth or in old age or simply not living a life we deem useful? As Christians shouldn't we submit ourselves to God's will?
I have spoken to a few people who profess to be Christians, but have decided that it matters not that the candidate they support for president would allow all manner of exterminating the life of a child if the mother wants to be rid of her responsibility. I am sorry friends. I cannot see your reasoning. Can you forget the silent tears of the murdered children while you cheer the man? Can you forget the tears of those who would gladly care for those children while you cheer on the economic policy over the morality of the man?
Today, I cry also. I cry for the unborn, the childless couples, the guilty moms, and I cry for you who have shut your ears to the cries. Father! Hear my cry and turn our hearts back to You!
It seems obvious to me that God wants the child to exist. He has imparted life to the baby and has made special plans for that baby. How can we as a society agree to the extermination of anyone, prebirth or in old age or simply not living a life we deem useful? As Christians shouldn't we submit ourselves to God's will?
I have spoken to a few people who profess to be Christians, but have decided that it matters not that the candidate they support for president would allow all manner of exterminating the life of a child if the mother wants to be rid of her responsibility. I am sorry friends. I cannot see your reasoning. Can you forget the silent tears of the murdered children while you cheer the man? Can you forget the tears of those who would gladly care for those children while you cheer on the economic policy over the morality of the man?
Today, I cry also. I cry for the unborn, the childless couples, the guilty moms, and I cry for you who have shut your ears to the cries. Father! Hear my cry and turn our hearts back to You!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Its the Pits
I heard Beth Moore talking about getting out of a pit. She has written a book along those lines but I have not read it yet. Maybe I should. It seems that we all need to get out of a pit at one time or another.
Beth Moore said that we can accidentally fall into a pit, be pushed in, or we can deliberately walk in. She also said that we need help to get out of our pits, no matter how we got into them. Sometimes we just need God, other times we need a friend and then there can be times when we need professional help. Helping someone out of a pit is a good thing! Being helped out of our own pit is wonderful too.
I am in a pit that kind of snuck up on me but that I also chose to walk into by making some unwise decisions. I have just reached out for help from a friend. And I am helping her too.
Helpers bring hope and truth and shoulders to cry on. They are our reason to keep going....because we don't want to let them down!
Today I am giving thanks to God for my helper! I know we can do it! We will succeed. We will find our way out! My helper is strong for me and I am strong for her and God is on our side...if God is for us who can be against us?
Beth Moore said that we can accidentally fall into a pit, be pushed in, or we can deliberately walk in. She also said that we need help to get out of our pits, no matter how we got into them. Sometimes we just need God, other times we need a friend and then there can be times when we need professional help. Helping someone out of a pit is a good thing! Being helped out of our own pit is wonderful too.
I am in a pit that kind of snuck up on me but that I also chose to walk into by making some unwise decisions. I have just reached out for help from a friend. And I am helping her too.
Helpers bring hope and truth and shoulders to cry on. They are our reason to keep going....because we don't want to let them down!
Today I am giving thanks to God for my helper! I know we can do it! We will succeed. We will find our way out! My helper is strong for me and I am strong for her and God is on our side...if God is for us who can be against us?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Perfect Love
Who do you feel most loved by? Who is it that will accept you exactly as you are but also encourage you to be your very best?
It is very hard to find someone who can fill both of these loving acts. Acceptance implies that if you never change that persons' love will never grow less. The encouragement to be your best is wanting change in your life, but only for your good not theirs.
Who do you and I love in this way? Am I a person who loves with acceptance and encouragement, or with expectations and selfish desires? Am I able to give others what they need to feel accepted? Am I able to cheer my loved ones on to be their best without cheering for myself to be rewarded by their success?
This kind of love is very hard to live. We may find we can do it once in awhile but every day living this kind of love takes God love. In fact we must first experience that God love for ourselves before we can do it for others. Even then we will find we fall woefully short of perfection in loving others.
"But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
"But just as He who calls you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy because I am holy." I Peter 1:15-16
Gods' amazing fulfilling love was made known to us through Jesus. He loves perfectly accepting us and perfectly encouraging us to be who we are meant to be!
I am loved perfectly. I can only seek Christs' Spirit to work in me so that I may love perfectly as well. In my failures He is always there to love the world!
It is very hard to find someone who can fill both of these loving acts. Acceptance implies that if you never change that persons' love will never grow less. The encouragement to be your best is wanting change in your life, but only for your good not theirs.
Who do you and I love in this way? Am I a person who loves with acceptance and encouragement, or with expectations and selfish desires? Am I able to give others what they need to feel accepted? Am I able to cheer my loved ones on to be their best without cheering for myself to be rewarded by their success?
This kind of love is very hard to live. We may find we can do it once in awhile but every day living this kind of love takes God love. In fact we must first experience that God love for ourselves before we can do it for others. Even then we will find we fall woefully short of perfection in loving others.
"But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
"But just as He who calls you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy because I am holy." I Peter 1:15-16
Gods' amazing fulfilling love was made known to us through Jesus. He loves perfectly accepting us and perfectly encouraging us to be who we are meant to be!
I am loved perfectly. I can only seek Christs' Spirit to work in me so that I may love perfectly as well. In my failures He is always there to love the world!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Accountability Partner
OUCH! Having an accountability partner can be an amazing experience of deep friendship and intimate trust. But then there is the other side where the person you trust shows you a mirror and you are shocked at their forthrightness and dismayed by what you see in yourself. It hurts!
It may take awhile to admit your failure and begin to make the necessary changes to become the person you want to be. It may even take awhile to face your friend and allow them to journey with you through the steps you need to take to freedom. It is important to have that connection with one or more people. We need each other.
The truth is that your friend needs you to hold up the mirror too! You can be a help even while you are being helped.
Hebrews 10:24 says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." (NIV) Spurs hurt, but we are called to love ourselves, others and God, so we must help each other with those "Projects" that bring us towards the goal!
Do you have someone you are accountable to? do you allow that person to spur you on to love and good deeds? I, myself, have reached out again to someone for that purpose. I hope we can help each other.
It may take awhile to admit your failure and begin to make the necessary changes to become the person you want to be. It may even take awhile to face your friend and allow them to journey with you through the steps you need to take to freedom. It is important to have that connection with one or more people. We need each other.
The truth is that your friend needs you to hold up the mirror too! You can be a help even while you are being helped.
Hebrews 10:24 says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." (NIV) Spurs hurt, but we are called to love ourselves, others and God, so we must help each other with those "Projects" that bring us towards the goal!
Do you have someone you are accountable to? do you allow that person to spur you on to love and good deeds? I, myself, have reached out again to someone for that purpose. I hope we can help each other.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Disconnected
Do you ever feel disconnected like I do? It is a weird feeling to be surrounded by people and yet feel invisible. It is strange to talk to others but sense that what you say just doesn't ring a bell with them. It is odd to see people you know and try to get their attention only to find out that their focus is on something or someone past you. It doesn't happen often but when it does I want to cry. I want to connect with others, to know I matter to them and to let them know they matter to me!
The question that haunts me is, am I to blame or is it a simple warp in the relationship bonds that makes the disconnection? Who knows? whatever it is I always hope the feeling passes quickly so that I can again get connected into the human race!
The question that haunts me is, am I to blame or is it a simple warp in the relationship bonds that makes the disconnection? Who knows? whatever it is I always hope the feeling passes quickly so that I can again get connected into the human race!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Big Giver
There was a time when I would give, but I never really found it to be a blessing back to myself as I was taught in church. I gave because I had to in order to be seen as a good person. Looking back I can see that it was a sad reason to give and more than that, a sad loss for me.
A simple prayer changed my giving. I asked God to make me a cheerful giver. This was one prayer that He answered quickly. As I remember it, the next weekly passing of the offering plate brought a smile to my face. As I laid my offering into the dish I found myself overwhelmed with thankfulness for what I had to give. I was delighted that I had more than I needed. I was becoming a cheerful giver!
Tomorrow our family is preparing a cookout to raise money for a needy family and some guys over in Iraq who are away from family and friends this Christmas. We call ourselves the Big Givers. But there is an even Bigger Giver! He gave us Himself! Maybe that is the real secret of being a Big Giver: giving from the heart and giving of ourselves. I know that giving selflessly is something that changed my heart into being a cheerful giver. I looked at the need of others as more than my wants.
How much we raise tomorrow is not the most important thing. What is important is that we do it as if we were doing it for the Lord.
A simple prayer changed my giving. I asked God to make me a cheerful giver. This was one prayer that He answered quickly. As I remember it, the next weekly passing of the offering plate brought a smile to my face. As I laid my offering into the dish I found myself overwhelmed with thankfulness for what I had to give. I was delighted that I had more than I needed. I was becoming a cheerful giver!
Tomorrow our family is preparing a cookout to raise money for a needy family and some guys over in Iraq who are away from family and friends this Christmas. We call ourselves the Big Givers. But there is an even Bigger Giver! He gave us Himself! Maybe that is the real secret of being a Big Giver: giving from the heart and giving of ourselves. I know that giving selflessly is something that changed my heart into being a cheerful giver. I looked at the need of others as more than my wants.
How much we raise tomorrow is not the most important thing. What is important is that we do it as if we were doing it for the Lord.
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