Category Archives: faith

Everything We Need to Know Him Part 2 — Jesus

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Have you ever thought about how much easier it would be to trust God and to live for Him if you could just see Him, listen to Him talk, touch His hand, and experience His embrace?

God desires for us to experience Him this way. This is why Jesus came. He came to us 2000 years ago as a baby born in humble circumstances. This baby grew to a man, who walked where we walk, experienced what we experience, and yet He displayed God, the Father everywhere He went. Colossians puts it this way:

“The Son is the image of the invisible God…” Colossians 1:15

Jesus came to show us exactly what the Father is like.

Philip, one of Jesus’s disciples told Jesus that it would be enough for them if He would show them the Father. Philip wanted to know what His Heavenly Father was like. Jesus told Him:

”… “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.“
‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Simply put, when we see Jesus, we see exactly what our Heavenly Father is like. The accounts, in the Bible, of Jesus loving the unloveable, touching the untouchable, and healing the broken are an exact representation of our Heavenly Father. He loves us, touches us, and heals the brokenness of our past.

Every action of Jesus recorded in the Gospels, ever word He spoke, are an exact image of the God. When we look at Jesus, we are looking at God.

God deeply desires for us to know Him not just know about Him. Jesus, our Emmanuel — God with us, is evidence of this fact. Jesus is the same today as He was in Bible times. He is approachable. Even the little children were invited to come and sit on His lap. He is speaking. His words are alive and powerful. He is touchable. He still offers the skeptic and the doubting the opportunity to reach out their hand and touch and examine His nail pierced hands so they can believe.

He longs for us to experience Him! The reason for that longing is when we experience and come to know Him, we experience and come to know the Heavenly Father that He came to make known.

Do you desire to KNOW God in an intimate way? Come to Jesus! He will show you exactly what His Father is like.

Polluted— Reflections on Proverbs 25

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We had an above ground pool when the kids were younger. I worked and worked at keeping that pool clean. The right balance of chemicals and diligent maintenance was required. The waters in my pool often looked less than desirable as I was trying to figure out that balance, murky waters, bugs not getting skimmed off, slime on the sides… It was a constant battle. Every once in awhile I would find the pool looking good until the kids got in and kicked up the dirt I didn’t get completely vacuumed off the bottom. Murky again… the battle went on.

Today’s Proverb has a verse that reminded me of that pool we had years ago.

”Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked.“Proverbs 25:26 NIV

Our lives are meant to be lived in righteousness. God created us to be in His image, righteous and holy. When we live our lives set apart to Him, observing and obeying what He commands in His Word, our lives are beautiful! They are filled with joy, peace, and contentment.

BUT, when we “give way” to sin. Our lives become like a “muddied spring or a polluted well.” Or like my old above ground pool when the PH balance was off, the bottom wasn’t being vacuumed off, and the skimmer bucket wasn’t working…slimy, green, NASTY! Our lives are unable to be enjoyed.

The entire book of Proverbs has much to say about living a righteous life and warnings against unrighteousness. This is because it pollutes our hearts, and if left unattended to by prayer, time in the Word, and repentance from sin, our waters of our heart will be destroyed…NASTY too!

How we live out lives matters! Don’t let the wicked ways of the world pollute you!

What’s in Your Heart — Reflections on Proverbs 21

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”A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.“ Proverbs 21:2 NIV

What is in your heart? Your spiritual heart is the most important thing about you and me. It is very important for us to understand this. We are free to choose our ways. We often think our ways we choose are the best for us. Simply put we think we are right.

The problem is our desires often are self focused. This comes from a heart that is not entirely, totally and completely given up to God.

God weighs our heart. He examines it. If we ask Him to, He will reveal it to us. This is why David prayed:

”Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.“ Psalms 139:23-24 NIV

If we want to live the blessed life, the life that is happy in God, our hearts need to be cleansed of any offensive or wicked way it may have. Sin needs to be cut away from it!

”Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.“ Proverbs 21:21 NIV

Pursuing righteousness, purity of heart, by obedience to God and what He says in His Word is how we give our hearts to God. Pursuing love or denying all our selfish wants and desires to give ourselves to God in total obedience is how we “find life.”

The question becomes “What is in my heart? What does it desire and pursue more than anything?”

What God finds when He examines or “weighs” our hearts is very important. It is a matter of spiritual life or spiritual death.

Live It… Your Children Will Be Blessed- Reflections on Proverbs 20

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Practical wisdom, Proverbs offers plenty of it: working with diligence, living in faithfulness, dealing with honesty, avoiding gossip… even warnings of being led astray by wine and beer are just a few of the topics of this chapter.

As I read it, there is a promise that stands out to me summarizing the result of practicing all the practical wisdom the entire book of Proverbs contains:

”The righteous man walks in his integrity; blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are his children after him.“
Proverbs 20:7 AMPC

The righteous or Godly man is the man who lives his life set apart to God. The one who obeys what God has commanded in His Word. The promise is that his children will be blessed or happy.

As parents we want what is best for our kids. The BEST thing you can give your kids is to live your life in complete surrender to God and His ways. This comes by learning what it is that He, out of His great love, has commanded in His Word… i.e. study your Bible, and OBEY what it says. This also comes by a relationship with God. We hear Him speak through His Word, and we talk to Him in prayer throughout our day. It is a continual, moment by moment, focus on God.

Long ago, as a young mom, I heard it said, “If you want your kids to love God and know Him, you have to love God yourself. You cannot impart what you Do Not Have!” Simply put, if you want your kids to have the blessings — joy, peace , and happiness of knowing God, you must have a deep relationship with Him as well. Model it in front of them! Your children are following your lead!

Who is the Lord? — Reflections on Proverbs 14 and the Fear of the Lord

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“Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD…” Exodus 5:2

“Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?” This is the disposition of heart that many have. It springs from the truth Pharaoh spoke about himself, “I do not know the Lord.” Simply put… Pharaoh did not fear the Lord. Many in our time do not fear the Lord as well.

There is much said in Proverbs about the fear of the Lord. Today’s Proverb talks about why it is so important.

”Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.“ Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The fear of the Lord is a “secure fortress… a refuge…a fountain of life.”

When we fear the Lord, we have a reverential awe of Him. This comes from a just view of Him. We see Him rightly. If we truly see Him for who He is, we will love Him. Then we will hate sin and aim for perfect obedience. We will not want anything to separate us from such a great and awesome God. (Websters 1828 Dictionary)

When we see God rightly, we know that we are secure in Him. He is our fortress. We know that our God is the place we can hide away and can experience His protection and provision because He is the greatest love. He is always working for our good!

As we shun evil or love God/Hate sin, we will know Him as the “fountain of life.” Because sin destroys and causes nothing but death, darkness, and destruction in our lives.

Pharaoh missed so much because he refused to know God for who He is and worship Him. We will miss so much as well if we refuse Him.

To Know God
Is to
Love God
Is to
Trust God
Is to
Obey God

May we come to a greater understanding of what it is to fear the Lord and to walk in His ways!

“Take Hold” the Pursuit of Jesus — Reflections on Proverbs 4

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Have you ever watched a sprinter in the Olympics? They are all in: eyes focused on the finish line, every muscle in their body working towards the goal at hand, every thought in their mind concentrating on the race. Today’s Proverb speaks of a pursuit similar to that:

”Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live.“

Proverbs 4:4 NIV

God has laid out His path to victory for our lives— the pursuit of God Himself. He tells us to “take hold of His Words with all our hearts.” We are to be “all in” in our pursuit of Him!

The spiritual heart is where our thoughts, our feelings, and our decisions originate from. It is that heart that we are to focus like a lazer beam on taking hold of God’s Words. Every bit of our thoughts, feelings and our decisions are to be set upon His Word. Why? Because God is His Word and His Word is God (John 1:1). He is to be the focus of our life.

Verse 7 states “Get Wisdom (truth in practice- Jesus the Wisdom of God) Though it cost you all you have…” Jesus is worthy of our most focused pursuit! He is worth giving up our own plans, our own desires, our own ways in order to attain! Why? Because He is life itself! All the things we prize that are not of him are only “deep darkness” that “makes us stumble.” Verse 19.

We are to be like the Olympic runner I mentioned at first. Focusing all we are on the race towards attaining Him. It is the only way to have life that is full of joy, peace, and contentment. Because joy, peace and contentment are only found in Jesus, the Wisdom that the book of Proverbs speaks of pursing.

Christmas — God’s Invitation to Experience Him — Luke 24

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There is something about a newborn baby being held upon your chest— the sweet smell, the warm cuddles, the tiny cries. The experience of holding your own is like none other.

At Christmas we celebrate the arrival of Jesus the newly born King and the experience of Him as He walked upon the earth 2000 — miraculous touch upon those He healed, the sound of His voice speaking the truth on a hillside, His laughter, His compassionate tears. Yes, Jesus was God’s invitation for us to experience Him!

Even in Jesus’s death we were invited to experience God — a voice crying it is finished, darkness, the earth shook, the temple veil torn. Then Jesus defeats death by His resurrection and once again the disciples were invited to experience Him. 

“While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”“ 
Luke 24:36-39 NIV

Look at me, touch me, and see! Experience Me as the Risen King!

Jesus is still inviting us to experience God! This is the very essence of the story of Jesus we read in the Bible. It is what we celebrate at Christmas, Jesus our Emmanuel — God with us!

His invitation has been sent to us — Come, see, feel my touch, experience and know Me!

What is My Treasure? – Reflections on Luke 12

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Treasure- something very much valued. (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

What do we value most? Jesus speaks of this often in this chapter. He talks about being “rich towards God” (verse 21), seeking His Kingdom first (verse 31), and having our treasure— what we value most— in heaven, God’s dwelling.
What we value most, treasure, shows us where are hearts are.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34).

Our hearts are the most important thing about us. It is where we experience the love, relationship, and intimacy of God.

We cannot experience this if our treasure, what we value most, isn’t God. We cannot experience the life of God if our hearts are far from Him.
It is important to ask God, “What do I value most? What is my treasure? God and His ways? Myself and my own ways?”

What we treasure is very important if we want to be close to God and to know Him.

Lions and Dreams

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“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I have been thinking a lot about the devil’s tactics to steal, kill, and destroy. It’s probably because I am teaching a Bible class about that very thing. The verse above has been on my heart and in my mind. Last night, I actually had a dream with regards to it.

In my dream there was an African lion, with a large mane. It was prowling about the parameter of my house. It was waiting for someone or something to wander from the safety of my home. The lion could not penetrate that safety. It waited, watching me and everyone who lived with me and our every move. Then Snowy, my Great Pyrenees went outside of the safe zone of my house. The lion attacked and she was torn to shreds. I was so heartbroken.

I retell this dream because this really is how our enemy, Satan, works. As we abide in the safe zone of God’s dwelling, which is Himself, we have nothing to fear.

“God is our refuge and strength…”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬ NIV

He is our only defense against Satan and his destruction.

The problems come when we wander from His safety. It is when we decide we don’t really want to dwell up close to God, which requires: total submission, total obedience, and total dependence on Him. We would rather have things our way. So we try to keep one foot inside of His protective zone and one foot outside of it. This is living like we did before we came to know Him. It is there the enemy prowls. He knows when we are vulnerable, and then he attacks, shredding us to pieces. His destruction in our lives has ripple effects reaching to our spouses, kids, family, friends, and beyond.

There is one other zone I would be remiss to not mention. It is where those who have not even come close to God at all dwell outside of safety. If you are there, you are in grave danger. You may not believe in the lion who prowls, but he believes in you and there is nothing he would like better than to destroy you! In fact, if you are honest, he has already begun to destroy your life.

So why all this talk about lions and dreams this morning? There is only one safe place. It is close to Jesus dwelling in Him. It is relationship with Him. As we abide in Him, we will hear the lion roar from a distance, but we are in the safe zone having nothing to fear.

Where do you live your life? Are you wandering far from the safety of Jesus? Are you exploring the edges of your safe zone by playing around with sin? Or are you snuggled up close to Jesus, as close as you can get? Are you daily desiring to be even closer obeying, submitting, and depending on him? That is the only safe place to be.

Memories of the Baptism

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Momma friends- keep the main thing the main thing! Jesus first!

Remember your little ones are like a flower bed. You need to sow good seed into them and tend their little hearts as they grow. If you do, you will see good fruit.
You cannot give them what you don’t already have. If you want your babies to know God you have to live that in front of them. You may have a great heritage passed down from your Parents or Grandma and Grandpa. But if we do not take that heritage of knowing God and make it our own it will mean nothing in our lives. Relationship with God is not something you inherit from someone. It is something you have on your own personally.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is what I wrote on Facebook 9 years ago, the day of my youngest sons baptism:

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 1 Peter 1:4


While holding my oldest son as an infant, I can remember as a young mother looking at the baby God had blessed me with, and praying with all urgency that God would mark his heart, that at a young age God would speak to him, and that he would serve God with all his heart for all his days. I have prayed this same prayer over each of my children at different times. I have walked into their rooms at night just to watch them sleeping and found myself kneeling besides their bed asking God to keep their hearts close to Him. That God would speak to them, and draw them to Himself and place a call on their lives. A prayer that at the time seemed kind of scary because God could call them all into missions and send them continents away from me, but whatever He wants for them is what I want for them.
God has given me the privilege of praying with each of my kids to ask Jesus into their hearts, each of them at very young ages: 5 years, 4 years, 5 years, 4 years. At times I thought they seem so young, God if they don’t understand please continue to work in them and draw them close to you.
Today marks a special event in the life of my youngest son. With a sense of urgency he has been asking over and over to be baptized. He told me the other night he heard the Holy Spirit tell him he needed to be baptized again. Years ago we allowed him to be baptized at the age of 5 because he asked and asked to be baptized then. When pondering if this was a good idea to let him be baptized so young, I continually heard the verse of Jesus saying, “Let the little children come to me.” over and over in my head. My husband and I decided to let him knowing that at an older age he may want to be baptized again.
I am humbled on how faithful God has been to fulfill my deepest desire as a mom, that my children would have a real relationship with Jesus, not just one that is based on the relationship my husband and I have with God, one of their own.
Wednesday night I made it late to church. My youngest had a flag football game. As soon as it was over, he looked at me and said, “Let’s go! How much of church do you think we missed?” He loves playing football, but he loves going to church more. He wasn’t too thrilled that the games were on Wednesday night, but it is what it is. As I walked into the room where the youth group was being held, my youngest daughter was thoroughly involved in worship, eyes closed, hands raised. My older daughter was singing and playing the piano in worship to God. Then my oldest son, 19 years old, paused his singing, and with an urgency about him talked about how worship was a special time that God had created us for. How God wants more of us. It struck me how he no longer talked like a kid, but as a man, a man of God. I thought about those times besides his bedside praying for God to mark his heart. I thought about my daughters and the conversations we have had lately about God and living for him. I thought about my baby boy, even though he is 10 years old, joking with me this week that he is going to be president some day, if not that then a preacher, maybe both.
This morning my heart is full. God has allowed me to have the privilege to sow seeds into the hearts of my kids, and I am getting to see just a little of the fruit from it. There is nothing greater than seeing your kids walking in the truth no matter where God may lead them. They are His. May His gifting and calling on each of their lives be fulfilled. I am one blessed momma.