Favorite Summer Recipe #TheLoft

     God told the Israelites, in Leviticus 26:3, "If you remember my laws and commands and obey them, I will give you rains at the right season; the land will produce crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit." (NCV) When we trust in and obey God, He blesses us with His provision, He supplies our every need.

     I love that the evidence of God's provision is seen in abundant crops and fruitful trees. And, to me, summertime means lots of sweet, delicious fruit. The very best way to serve up my favorite fruit, the peach, is in my mom's mouth-watering Peach Cobbler! The best part is, it is very easy to make. Here's the recipe:

Peach Cobbler

1 stick of softened butter
1 cup of sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup of self-rising flour
2 cups of peeled and sliced peaches (or any fruit you like!)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cut peaches in a baking dish, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar, and set aside for 30 minutes, or so, to allow the sugar to create a yummy fruit syrup. Next, mix butter, 1 cup sugar and self-rising flour together, just until mixed. Crumble the topping on top of the fruit, and bake until browned, about 1 hour.
• Tastes most delicious when warm, and topped with a healthy scoop of vanilla ice cream!

     I also love that the evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of His believers is seen in fruit, as well: "But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law." (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT) I am so thankful that God not only provides us with His fruit to nourish our bodies, but produces His fruit in us to nourish our souls - all so that we may share Him with others. 

       

Legacy - #TheLoft

 

me & my dad

     As I come upon the 2-year anniversary of my father's death, it is with a deep sense of gratitude and pleasure at the legacy he left for me. My dad may not have known much about Jesus when he was a young father, but he and my mom made sure that my sister and I had the opportunity to learn about Him, as they took us to church & Sunday school throughout my young life. What he didn't know, he left to those who did. He knew the importance of knowing about Jesus, and I am forever thankful. My dad has left me a legacy of being generous of heart and loving toward others. My dad made life so much more fun for those around him - he always knew how to get everyone laughing! And the laughter of others made my dad's heart the happiest. It has been so hard not to have that laughter in my life - the laughter only my dad could bring about; but, the legacy of his humor and lightheartedness have encouraged me to laugh a lot, and not take life so seriously. As my dad got older, his faith and love for Jesus deepened, and he became a glowing example of Jesus to me. I treasure the wonderful, faith-filled talks we had in my adult years. Thank You, Jesus, for my precious Dad, and his beautiful legacy!

me & my mom

     I am so thankful for the living legacy I have in my dear mother. I'm so thankful, again, that my parents gave me the inheritance of knowing Jesus. There is no greater legacy a parent can leave than that! I have learned so many things from my mom! Through her example, I have learned how to be patient, how to nurture others, and how to be unselfish and giving toward others. My mom always listens with her heart, and is very concerned with anything that concerns me. She is my confidant. My mom regrets that her Christian walk was not where she wished it could have been when I was growing up, but I am thankful. I am thankful because she knew enough to make sure I learned about Jesus. And, I am thankful because it has been a beautiful journey that we have been able to make together, as friends. What a beautiful living legacy my mom is, that she has come alongside me as we strive together to walk the path that Jesus has marked out for us! Thank You, Jesus, for my precious Mom, and her living legacy!

     I am so thankful to both of my parents for their legacy. Because of their legacy, both of their children are walking with Jesus. "Don't you see that children are GOD's best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?" Psalm 127:3, MSG

     Father, I pray that I am able to leave a precious legacy of Christian love for my children. I pray that, in me, they will see You, and will see how much I loved you in my life. I hope that they will be able to see that "Your statutes are are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart, " that "I inherited your book on living; it's mine forever - what a gift! And how happy it makes me!" (Psalm 119:111, NIV & MSG)
 Amen!

Potluck - #TheLoft

     A potluck...what's not to love?! A huge spread of wonderfully delicious foods - something for everyone! Meat & potato dishes, comfort foods, healthy options, and  sweet & delightful treats...the variety is endless. Each person brings his/her favorite thing to share, whether homemade or store-bought, with the intention to bring the best they have.

     A potluck dinner, full of variety and everyone's best culinary offerings,to be shared by all, makes me think of the spiritual gifts God so graciously bestows upon us:

"Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful..."

I Corinthians 12:7-8, The Message

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."

I Corinthians 12:7, NIV

     Our Heavenly Father chose to fill each of us with special gifts to share with all of His people. The gifts He gives are uniquely designed and full of variety, but each is given for the good of all. The gifts do not make us special, for we are merely the vessels. Instead, they reflect the glory, majesty, and power of God, highlighting what He can do through us when we trust and obey Him.

     I want to share an excerpt from the book God inspired me to write, The Path: A 90-Day Journey to Living God's Will in Today's World:

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

2 Corinthians 4:7, NIV

For thousands of years, it has been customary to hide valuables or treasures in plain, ordinary containers so as not to draw attention to them. In biblical times, those treasures were typically concealed in clay jars. The message conveyed in the above verse is that the gospel, or the good news that Jesus is our Savior, is hidden within the hearts of all who believe. God has designed that Christian believers have this beautiful, treasured good news hidden inside of their ordinary, frail human bodies in order to showcase His magnificent power.

...When we choose to live in obedience to Him and the counsel He gives us through His Holy Spirit, God's all-surpassing power is unleashed in our lives. 

...As God's all-surpassing power goes to work in our lives, others take notice. As they see ordinary, frail people living godly lives and displaying godly characteristics, they glimpse a reflection of Jesus Himself. Their eyes are opened to see that it is not those ordinary, frail people who are the treasure, but the power of the treasure - Jesus -  working through them. This knowledge attracts them to Jesus  - the glorious treasure - who longs to do the same through them!

     Thank the Good and Great Lord for the "potluck" of gifts He has given us that we may be His vessels and reflect His Glory to others!

    

     

Best Vacation #TheLoft

"There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1, NLT

"God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end." 

Ecclesiastes 3:11, NLT

     It was summer of 2013. My daughter had just graduated from high school, my son would soon graduate from college, and my husband and I were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. We'd had many beautiful vacations together visiting our families in Georgia and North Carolina. We decided that January that we should do something different for our summer vacation to commemorate this momentous year of celebrations - we would go to Europe!

     We decided together that we would visit London, Paris & Rome. From there, my husband planned the most fabulous trip ever - with stops at all of the best destinations those cities had to offer in the short amount of time we had in each.

     First came London:

Tower Bridge

One of many famous telephone booths

My Elizabeth & David

Parliament, The Eye, & Big Ben

Next came Paris:

The Eiffel Tower

The Louvre

Montmartre

Beautiful gardens everywhere!

Last stop - Rome:

Needs no caption!

The Colosseum

Trevi Fountain

Piazza Navona

     I am so thankful that we could take this wonderful trip! It was so symbolic for the changing season in our lives.When your children are young, you can't envision what it will be like for them to grow up and move away, nor do you even want to entertain the thought for a moment! When our son went off to school in 2011, and our daughter right after this trip, the reality began to set in that they were all grown up now. I could no longer cling to them as my precious babies who needed me so much, badly as I wanted to. God has been with my husband and me, as we trained them up in the way they should go, and now we trust that they will not turn from it (Proverbs 22:6). Seasons change, and children grow up, and I will forever remain thankful that "God has made everything beautiful for its own time."

My Favorite Psalm #TheLoft

     My favorite Psalm - in fact, my favorite chapter in the entire Bible - is Psalm 139:

"O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, O 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."

     I had read that Psalm many times, I'm sure, but one day it just grabbed me. God knew me! He "knit me together in my mother's womb!" The very eyes of God "saw my unformed body!" He designed me, He created me just exactly the way I am - all for His plan and purpose. He knew what every day of my life would look like before the first one had even come about. He knew me before I was born on this earth, and He knows the day I will take my last breath on this earth. 

     The day that Psalm took hold of me was a transforming moment in my life as a Christian. It opened my eyes to the fact that Jesus not only had a personal knowledge of me, but that I was created for a specific purpose on this earth. Learning this about Jesus has led me to develop that personal relationship that He was longing to have with me - after all, if Jesus knew me so well, shouldn't I strive to know Him more? Shouldn't I desire to know Him more intimately and personally? The 139th Psalm paved the way for me to develop a relationship with Jesus that is so much more than superficial! It opened the door for me to have this wonderful, ongoing fellowship with Him, and has led me to trust in Him to fulfill His purpose in my life, and not make my own way. 

     And, whenever I stray from the path He has marked out and chosen for me, I, like the psalmist, ask Him to "search me", to "see if there is any offensive way in me." And then, I have His promise in verse 24, that He will  help me get my feet back on His path. He will "lead me in the way everlasting." Amen!

     

    

Our assignment this week at #TheLoft is to write about what the picture above evokes in us.

     When I look at this picture, I am filled with peace. I can feel the cool mist of the fog on my skin and smell the earthy scent of grass and hay. The simplicity of the picture - from the green, green grass to the perfectly-rounded bales of hay, gives me a sense of serenity and comfort, and I feel one with the beautiful earth that God created. I could picture myself lying atop those hay bales, surrounded by quiet, the noise of the world shut out.

"How blessed the man you train, GOD, the woman you instruct in your Word, providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil.."

Psalm 94:12-13, MSG

     Although I'm not likely to find this beautiful, peaceful scene anywhere near the sandy beaches of Florida where I live, it is vital that I make it a priority to find peace and quiet amidst the noise and confusion in the world around me. I just love these verses from Psalm 94! God is telling us that, in His Word, we find a "circle of quiet within the clamor of evil." Though we live in a world that can be hard and cruel, and evil is continually attempting to lead us astray, we need only to open the pages of His Word to receive training and instruction for how to keep our feet firmly planted on His path. Though chaos so often reigns all around us and the world can speak too loudly in our ears, we need only to open the pages of His Word to find that "circle of quiet," where God speaks peace to us.

     This picture is a perfect illustration of these verses from Psalm 94 to me, and although we may not be able to "get away from it all" and lie atop bales of hay everyday, we may always find our "circle of quiet" in Him.

     

     

The Place I Call Home #TheLoft

"Love GOD, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got! Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night."

Deuteronomy 6:5-7, MSG

     Home, the first 24 years of my life, was the city where I was born: Ft. Pierce, Florida. Ft.Pierce is a beautiful place to be born, and I'm so proud that my children are 4th generation Ft. Pierce natives! Ft. Pierce was, and still is, a place where its residents speak to each other, whether they know them or not. That may sound strange, but believe me, I've been in lots of places where people look at you funny if you speak to them and they don't know you! I love that about Ft. Pierce! I lived in the same house throughout my entire childhood with my mom and dad, and my older sister, Linda.

Here we are!

     Home was: my German Shepherd, Heidi; playing in our tree house, swinging on our tire swing; going to the beach; camping in a borrowed pop-up camper (with rain everytime!); playing hide-and-seek in our house at night, with the lights out!; eating dinner together around our kitchen table; going to church, learning about Jesus, getting saved in my backyard, (thanks to my next door neighbor, a preacher's kid!).

Home was where we talked about God and got His commandments "inside" of us. 

     Home was always, always my mom and dad, my sister and me,

 knit together in our Father's love.

     Home, for the last 26 years, has been the city where I now reside: Palm City, Florida. Just before my husband, David, and I got married, we decided to move just 25 minutes south of Ft. Pierce. Palm City was quite small when we moved here, but has grown just enough! Palm City is where we have raised our two beautiful - now young adult! - children, David, Jr & Elizabeth. 

Here we are!

     Home was: our loyal cat, Beeb, and best dog in the world, Sadie; catching lizards (okay, mostly our son!); going fishing; going to the beach; playing hide-and-seek in our house at night, with the lights out!; going on vacations together; cheering on our son in soccer and cross-country; being mesmerized by our daughter at her ballet recitals; eating dinner around our kitchen table; going to church.

Home was where we now talked about God and got His commandments "inside" our own children.

Home is where we are learning to transition to what we need to be for our children now that they are grown. Home is where we will always talk about God. Home is where we will always, always be... family, knit together in our Father's love.

The Place I Call Home is...FAMILY!

#TheLoft

http://www.leahadams.org/category/the-loft-linkup/

      I am very excited to link up with a site of bloggers for the next few weeks - #TheLoft.
This first post is to be a "get to know you" post, so here goes:

     

     I am...Suzanne, and I am a work in progress! I live in Florida - a native, in fact! I grew up in a Christian home and learned about God at an early age. My compassion for others led me to the nursing profession, where I spent sixteen years as an obstetrical nurse. While taking time off to raise my 2 children, I fell in love with volunteering at my church home. One of my first tasks as a volunteer was teaching children's Sunday school. My preparation for teaching led me to the Source of my lessons - the Bible. As I began to read, I soon learned all of the things I didn't know about God. Here I had believed in and loved Him all my life, never realizing I had been missing out on one very important thing: a personal relationship with Him. Teacher became student as I began to hunger and thirst to know God more deeply and intimately. As I spent time in the Word of God, slowly the personal relationship I never knew I could have with God began to take shape. My old life began to fade away, to be replaced with the new one God desired - one with meaning and purpose.

     Before long, I was tasked with not just teaching lessons, but writing them as well. What's more, I was given the responsibility to move my teaching out of the cozy Sunday school classroom and into venues with larger audiences. This was an unfamiliar and daunting task for the shy, young woman I was! However, a remarkable thing began to happen as I stepped out in faith: I began to hear clearly from God, receiving His unmistakable inspiration in my writing. In addition, as I stood nervously before my audience to speak, God absolutely took over, enabling me to speak boldly and confidently the very words that He had inspired.

     Over the course of 18 years, I learned so much, and was given many opportunities to write and teach all that God was teaching me, including 5 wonderful years as youth director at my church. I saw myself in the faces of those youth, and purposed in my heart that I would show them how to have a deep and personal relationship with God - something I had missed out on in my own youth. As I began my 5th year as youth director, God spoke clearly to me that I was now to write a book. After 2 1/2 years of listening for God's inspiration, the book was complete. It was a true labor of love! The end result is a 90-day devotional that leads its readers,step-by-step, into a personal relationship with God, and points them to the Word of God as the Source of all wisdom and knowledge, and gives them the tools they need to live a life of faithful obedience in a fallen world.

     I am... a person who lived my life for so long following after my own will, and in reading God's Word for myself and developing a personal relationship with Him, I now know better. I anxiously await whatever God has in store for me next!

I've Got a Secret...

April 29, 2015

     I'll admit it - I really don't want to write about this, but I also really feel the Lord nudging me to do so. I've got a secret that I would much rather stay a secret, but that's a big part of the problem, you see. Well, here it is: I am a prideful person. This is an ugly fact that God revealed to me 4, yes, FOUR years ago. I couldn't see it at first (pride). I'd always thought myself to be rather humble (pride). But, God has shown me so much as He has helped me in my struggle to be free from this stronghold in my life.
     The first thing that God showed me was that my definition of pride was limited. I thought pride was having a high opinion of oneself that was reflected in one's words or actions. Yes, that's true indeed, but God showed me that there were many, many more facets of pride that I was guilty of that I had never even considered to be prideful. Things like:

Jealousy, Covetousness, Blaming Others, Fear, Doubt, Self-pity, and even Insecurity!

     This means that whenever I am jealous of another, and whenever I find myself coveting, or strongly desiring what another has, it is out of the prideful thought that I am entitled to have more, or have what might be better. Whenever I blame others for something that has happened, it almost always is because I am too prideful to admit I made a mistake. It was fairly easy for me to recognize that these sins were all the result of pride.

     But, then God began to reveal to me even more facets to my pride that I had been unaware of, and just how much I had allowed pride to become a stronghold in my life. He showed me that my inordinate fear and doubt were the result of pride, in the form of trusting in what I could only see (the world), instead of trusting in He who is invisible (see I Timothy 1:17). He showed me that whenever I was filled with self-pity, it was a result of pride, in the form of thinking only of myself. The biggest surprise that God showed me was that insecurity wasnot humility, as I had wrongly thought. Instead, insecurity was a result of pride, in the form of  thinking that I could handle all that life threw at me on my own and apart from Him. This impossible feat left me feeling insecure, but at the root of that insecurity was my pride in thinking I could do it all on my own.

     So, you see, I most certainly had a very limited view of what pride was. The more that God has revealed to me, the more I see my pride in all its ugliness. God has shown me that there are many, many layers of pride that I must break free from in order to rid myself of this stronghold, and it has been a struggle. But, I am holding on to God's promise to me: 

"And those who walk in pride he is able to humble." Daniel 1:37b, NIV

     I am humbled when I know that I have sinned and must seek His forgiveness. I am humbled when He reveals to me that my sins are so often the result of pride. I am humbled when I confess my sins before Him. I am humbled so that I may no longer walk in pride!

Friends, no matter our sin or stronghold, God is more than able to forgive us and free us:

"That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it." Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT

     A few days ago, I had the privilege of spending the morning with my son. As he kayaked out in the river to fish, I took in the sights and sounds from the dock. I was struck by a beautiful bird that had landed on the dock to snack on remnants left behind by other fishermen. He was aware of my presence, and he did not allow his desire for a tasty snack lure him too close to me. Instead, he walked purposefully and cautiously, sticking to a path that kept him safe:

"Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." Proverbs 4:25-27, NLT

     I could learn a lesson from that bird! So often I allow myself to be lured away from the safety and security found in my Heavenly Father. Instead of following after His Word and His commands, I take my eyes off of His own straight path, and follow my own very crooked one. My own path leads me to follow after worldly pursuits, instead of living in obedience to God. My own path leads me to be continually sidetracked, instead of walking with a godly purpose and passion. Quite simply, following my own path leads me to follow what is contrary to God, thus, what is evil. 

     God wants us to follow the path that He marks out for us. We do this by living in obedience to Him, as He leads us when we pray to Him, and as He leads us through His Holy Word. When we live our lives in obedience to Him, we are able to "stick to [His] path and stay safe." Sticking to God's path enables us to walk with a godly purpose and passion. May we always strive to stick to His path, stay safe, and not allow ourselves to be sidetracked and led away to follow our own path.

     

     

3:15 a.m.
     That seems to be the usual time I awaken most nights. The reason? I wish I knew. All I know is, it is in this awakening that I am filled with fear and dread, and all of my worries and problems are magnified. Problems that seemed solvable during the day loom large and very much unsolvable when I am surrounded by darkness in the middle of the night. There's just something about that time of night that makes me feel very alone, and very vulnerable. It is Satan's favorite time to attack me, with worries such as: "Are my children ok?" "Is my family ok?" "Why did I have to say that today?" "Why did I have to do that today?" And, the list goes on and on.

     One day I ran across these words from the Bible, and memorizing them and praying them to God during these dark and fearful night 'awakenings' has been the power I need to defeat the enemy and bring light to my darkness, allowing me to feel the peace of God and rest again:

     "You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God, I can scale a wall." Psalm 18:28-29, NIV

     We must always be prepared for Satan's attacks. God tells us so, in I Peter 5:8, "Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour." (NLT) Yes, Satan will try to attack us whenever he can, and however he can, but nothing defeats Satan's attacks like the Word of God! It is so important that we read God's Word, and hide it in our hearts (see Psalm 119:11), so we will be prepared whenever he tries to attack us:

     "In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:16-17, NLT

Thank You, Dear LORD, that so much greater are You who lives within me than he who is in the world! (I John 4:4)

     The thunderstorms we have been having the past few days where I live have matched the emotional storms I have felt surrounding me so often lately. Storms of sickness in family and loved ones; storms of bad news; storms of disappointment; storms of loss; storms of insecurity over the future...all of these "storms" have been surrounding me, threateningly, for far too long now. Storms come to us no matter how faithfully we try to live - Jesus tells us in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble." (NIV)

     Today had been a day of more heavy rain, but I took advantage of a break in the storm to venture out on  a walk. As I walked, the emotional storms swirled and swirled about me, and to make matters worse, it started to rain.  I popped open my umbrella and forged ahead. After only a few minutes, the rain stopped, and the clouds parted to reveal this sight:

     The sun came out for the first time all day - it burst through the storm! What a perfect analogy to God's power - not only in the physical storms of our lives, but also in the emotional ones. Psalm 107:29 says, "He stilled the storm to a whisper." That beautiful sight brought me such peace, and I felt His presence all around me, stilling all my storms to a whisper. 

     Yes, in this world we will have troubles, as John 16:33 confirms. But listen to how Jesus follows up that statement in the rest of the verse, "But take heart! I have overcome the world." (NIV) The NCV words it this way, "..but be brave! I have defeated the world." When the storms of life lay heavy all around us, let us take heart/be brave and draw near to Jesus, our Peace, asking Him to still our storms to a whisper.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

     I was given a beautiful pot of lilies for Easter, and their fragrance has filled my home with such a lovely, sweet aroma. As I looked to the Word of God, I found a beautiful passage about the purpose of a good fragrance:

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's victory parade. God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume. Our offering to God is this: We are the sweet smell of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are being lost."
                                                                              2 Corinthians 2:14-15, NCV

     This got me thinking - am I giving off the sweet smell of Christ in my life? Do I allow Jesus to so permeate my life that every thought I think, every word I speak, and every action I take radiates His glorious presence to others? Ouch. So often, I'm afraid the answer is no. Oh how I long for the answer to be yes! How can I achieve this goal? The beginning of these verses tell me: by allowing God to take the lead in my life.  When I submit my thoughts, words, and actions to Him, the sweet smell of His goodness, compassion, and righteousness flows through me, enabling me to "spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume."

Let us strive to follow His lead everyday, so that our lives may reflect the sweet smell of Christ!

   

     Today was one of those days where I was in a funk from the moment I opened my eyes. I hadn't slept well, and all of the things that had been bothering me were looming over my head like a thick, dark cloud. I'd had a few interruptions to my morning routine, and I was just feeling sorry for myself. I started thinking about how I wanted to write a new blog, but the words just wouldn't come. The only words that kept coming into my head were, "Jesus loves me." I couldn't have felt more unlovable at that moment, which added to my sour mood. I left the blog for the time being, and as I went about my day, the words, "Jesus loves me" kept coming into my thoughts. I reflected on a Scripture I'd read earlier in the morning, and suddenly saw what God had been trying to get into my head the whole day. Here's what I read:

     Jesus said in John 15:9-12, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." (NIV)

     I completely missed the connection when I had read it earlier because I was too busy feeling sorry for myself. I want to share it with you: Jesus loves us, and though there are many times when we may feel unlovable, His Word reassures us that indeed, He does love us. He tells us, in the verses above, that we are to remain in His love. How do we do that? He answers that..."obey my commands." Why did Jesus tell us this? "So that my joy me be in you.." And what is Jesus' command? "Love each other as I have loved you."

      I couldn't see past myself to feel Jesus' love until I took the focus off of me and spent time loving others. That's when the joy that Jesus longed to give me all day came. When we turn our eyes inward, and only see ourselves, we close ourselves off from feeling Jesus' love. It is when we reach out to love others that we feel His enormous love for us, and can experience his unending joy.

     Jesus loves me. Amen!

     

"Show me the path where I should walk, O LORD; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." 

Psalm 25:4-5, NLT

     Can we agree that we live in confusing and troubling times? A quick glance at the headlines or 30 seconds spent listening to the news confirms it. Many times I feel overwhelmed by all the turmoil, and, yes, even terrified by it. But, God's Word always speaks peace to my troubled heart. You see, we're not meant to know all the answers. Instead, we're meant to turn to the One who does - our Heavenly Father. 
      We were never meant to walk this path we call life apart from Him, for doing so makes us more likely to be consumed by the world in which we live. Our peace lies in the verses above: calling out to God to show us His path, and then leading us and teaching us as we put our hope in Him.