This Is The Day That The Lord Has Made

Everyday I awaken to the reality that the Lord has made a new day for me to learn from him. He never ceases to amaze me. As I look into the face of my baby granddaughter, I truly see the face of God. How amazing and loving he is to create such a beautiful replicate of himself. We are made in his image, by his hand and for his purposes.

Recently, I was struck with how intimately he attends each of us. It's easy to believe that he is too busy for my pettiness. But, the truth is that he is so into every detail of our lives. Although that is a very comforting thought, his most intimate desire for us is to be close to him. He loves us so much and is a jealous God. He is jealous for you. He is jealous for me. He is jealous for your time. But, above all else, he is jealous for your heart, your devotion and your adoration. He wants to be praised and he wants to be loved. He is God!

As I look at the beautiful little face of my "Sweet Cheeks", as I call her, and her whole face lights up with joy and a big toothless grin, I instantly melt. I think of how God melts when we turn our face to his, look him directly in the eye and smile with affection. I can't get enough of her. Amazing is this love between grandma and baby. She is such a gift! How much more our heavenly father loves us.

How do we resist such love? How do we resist such affection? Why do we run to anything else that falls short of unconditional love and acceptance? Could it be that we are so in tune to another voice that shouts we are unworthy, that we don't need it, that we can handle life on our own terms? How wrong we are and how much we forfeit the only love that can truly satisfy our deepest longing.

Step into his presence now and surrender everything in your life to him. If you have given him your life; it is his anyway. He is so much better at running our lives than we are. Life is just better when he is the driver! Let him take the driver's seat and see where he takes you! The view is amazing and he will take you to higher levels of his grace, his mercy, his love and his acceptance than you have ever imagined.

As we run around trying to find out what our purpose in this life is, he stands waiting for you to realize that you were made to love him! The bible is the greatest love story ever told...the one who made you, loves you and he wants to fill you and make you whole with this love. Will you love him too?

I Will Lift Him Up

Praise the LORD.

Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

For the Lord takes delights in his people;
he crowns the humble with salvation.
Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.
Psalm 149:1-5

I am convicted by my lack of looking to Jesus. This morning, I awoke to him speaking to me about his desire for me. He pursues me and asked me a question: If God is for you who can be against you?

God is FOR us. We are His children. He gives us favor and delights in US.
I will praise the Lord and I will dance for Him. He is worthy!

Watch This!

Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds-
his name is the LORD-
and rejoice before him.  Ps. 68:4

I had the privilege of tagging along with my husband on a business trip last week to Florida.  It was just a little break for me from all of the hustle and bustle of Christmas.  I am blessed to have such a wonderful family and support system for my little ones, so that I can enjoy my time and not worry about them.

Whenever my husband and I travel, I always sit by the window and give him the aisle seat.  I like to look out and see all of God's creation and he likes to be able to stretch his legs when he wants. 

As we were approaching our destination, we were flying over the ocean.  I was watching out the window and thinking about the verse I quoted.  I thought about the LORD riding on the clouds.  I wondered what it would be like to have my spiritual eyes opened and see the LORD.

While I was pondering this, I noticed a heart shape in the ocean.  It was very dark and very large and I thought "How cool is that!"  I thought there must be a huge rock formation that is causing the depth of the ocean to form a heart.  So, I mentioned it to my husband. 

He leaned over me to see out the window and spotted it right away.  He kept looking and said, "Honey, that heart shape is a shadow of  heart-shaped cloud above it."  He then pointed out the heart shape cloud.  I said "You are right!  Oh my goodness, that is so incredible!"  We were both just grinning and staring out the window.

We moved past the point of the heart and I just sat there amazed again at our AMAZING GOD!  I said, "You know, I think that God just likes to play, "Watch This!" with me.  He said "I think so!"  That may sound flippant to some, but I remain in awe of the intimacy of my LORD.  He is worthy of our praise!

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Ps. 19:1

Peace In His Presence

I have been resting in God's peace.  His presence surrounds me.  I want to hide here.  It is such a good place to be.

There is so much going on in our world.  Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be God.  He already knows what is going to happen, but does it hurt Him to see all of the pain in our world. 

This morning, I was reliving some of my own hurts.  It didn't feel good.  It was just subtle thoughts and subtle grief.  I recognized it and starting praying and asking the Lord to help me.  I am so weak. 

He showed me the cross.  I was humbled.  He said that I didn't have to carry my pain.  He already has.  I repented and asked him to forgive me for trying to carry it myself.  What a waste of my time and energy.  He paid for it, so I don't have to.  It must cause Him pain when I don't accept the price He paid for me.

It is so subtle.  It seems so real.  It seems so me.  But I am reminded of the enemy that wages war against my soul and wants to confuse my mind.  He wants to steal my peace.  He wants me to live in defeat.

Thank God for His intimacy.  The bible says he knows my every thought even while it is far from me, before I even think it.  So, today I lost the battle for a few moments.  But, I thank the Lord that He let me hear His voice calling me.

Come to Me all of you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.  You will find rest for you soul and peace for your heart.  Those who know Him know His voice.  He desires to walk with me and to talk with me and to remind me that I am His own. 

So, even tonight I am still here...here in His presence...and here...there is peace.

How Beautiful

How beautiful the radiant bride~

My daughter was married on Saturday.  It was beautiful.  She was beautiful.  She looked like Cinderella.  Her face was illuminated.  Her gown sparkled like diamonds as the late afternoon sun peeked through the windows.   She was amazing!

I am still speechless.  I have tried to express myself in gratitude to the Lord for His goodness and His faithfulness, but I just don't have the right words.  It went beyond anything we could ask or imagine.

The bride, the groom, the wedding party, the readers, the music, the church, the singers and the message were all perfect!  I felt the presence of the Lord expressing himself in the atmosphere.  You could feel the peace and the love and the wonder of it all.  And the weather was incredible!  Not a cloud in the sky, and the sun was shining. I know I sound like a proud Mother of the Bride or M.O.B. as my daughter affectionately called me. 

Okay, so I am.  I am proud to be the mother of the bride and now to be the mother of my 4th son, her husband.  I look forward with anticipation to their future together and their future family.  We will relive their Big Day for years to come in the many pictures and videos prepared for us. 

This morning, while spending time with the Lord, I imagined what the Wedding Supper of the Lamb will be.  We gave our daughter our best and we enjoyed every minute and would do it again in a heartbeat.  The Lord has a feast in mind for us.  He is making the preparations now.  He is giving his best.  He is waiting patiently for His bride to ready herself.

As the trumpet played or the organist version, I should say, the doors of the sanctuary opened.  There was the bride, my daughter in all her radiance; she was ready to be presented to her bridegroom.  I was awestruck.  The bridegroom stood still with a big smile on his face and his eyes were full of love and fixed on her.  He was ready to receive his bride.

So it is with us.  Jesus is waiting for the bride to ready herself.  He is smiling and He is waiting and He is watching.  Are you ready?  The trumpet will blast and He will appear.  No words can describe it.  His full presence will be known.  How blessed we will be when he looks at us, His bride, and says to you and to me:  How Beautiful!

A Pick Me Up

Amazing that no matter where we are God is there.  We are never more than a whisper from Jesus' name.

On a flight the other day, I was reminded about His presence.  I never lose my awe of being so far above the earth.  As I looked at the clouds just suspended in air and the "life" below, I wondered what it all looks like to God.  It's too much to comprehend.

And then I thought about His presence.  It's everywhere.  The airplane can't get any closer to the air.  It is in it.  The presence of Jesus is everywhere.  If you are breathing, you are in it.   

While in worship today, I sensed His presence.  It was majestic and whooing.  My king was drawing me close to him.  In those moments, I never want to leave.  It is heavenly.  It was more than a knowledge of His presence, it was an experience of His presence.  It's as if no one else is around and it's just me and Him -knowing and being known.

He longs for that intimacy with me and with you.  He wants us to know Him. He wants us to want Him.

Abraham Lincoln was a great president.  I know a lot about him.  I have visited the places that he walked.  I have read books about him and marveled at his face at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.   Though I know about him, I don't know him.

Jesus is not just a figure hanging on a cross or a picture hanging in your grandmother's hallway.  He's not just a historical figure.  He is the living God.  He is a life-giving God.  He is the only true God.  By him were all things made and for him all things were made. 

You were made by him.  For I was knit together in my mother's womb, your eyes saw my unformed body when I was hidden in the secret place...every day was written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 119

You were made for a purpose.  For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29

The rest of that verse goes on to say that He will hear us when we turn from the path we have marked out for ourselves and turn toward him. I believe it is the longing of every heart to be known.

Like a father reaching to pick up a child that has fallen, He longs to pick you up and to carry you.  Getting closer to God doesn't just happen.  You have to make a move.

It can happen in your life today, though.  You can get one step closer to knowing Him.  Turn from where you are, reach up to God with your heart and your hands and whisper "Jesus, pick me up".  He knows your heart.  You will find that you are in the hands of God and that He is closer than the air you breathe!

A Changed Life

I recently read a really good book and wanted to share it with you. My uncle had told me about the author who was a friend of his. He sent the book to me and it was amazing how God used it in my life.

After reading the book, I had the opportunity to talk with the author. He asked me to mention the book to my blog followers. The name of the book is The Lost Secret and the author is Rick Suarez. You can visit his website at http://www.lostsecret.org/

The book is illustrated beautifully and is not like any other book I have read. It is also in a study guide form. Rick shares his life honestly and openly. And it is an amazing story. Jesus became the focus of His life and is using him to reach many people with the message of the cross.

The book covers every area in the Christian's journey. One of the chapters is about idols. And the Lord used the book to reveal the idols in my life.

Thinking I knew myself pretty well and knowing how God has healed my heart and changed my life, my prideful self thought this should be easy. It went like this:

"Lord, do I have any idols in my life?"

The answer came quickly, "Yes."

Mmmm...I had to really think about it. Do I really want to see the idols in my life? I have known the Lord long enough to know that when he is ready to work in your life, don't put it off. No matter how painful it seems, there is always victory on the other side. I knew I didn't want to miss out on what he has for me.

So, I worked up enough courage and said, "Okay, Lord, please show me what is an idol in my life".

He said, "Your family".

I quickly responded and said, "No, it's not". Pretty bold of me to argue with God, huh. I was so defensive!

He answered me with silence. He just waited...he didn't condemn me or shame me...he just waited.

I felt His presence so strongly and I was so humbled. I know that He is God and he knows me perfectly.

I then saw a picture in my mind. In my mind, I saw the cross. And then the idols in my life were lined up like wooden "game pieces".

The first one was my husband and then my kids, and then my parents, and then my siblings and then their children and my in-laws and their children...all of them...lined up. At the end of the line was me. I have a fairly large family, so this was a pretty long line.

How could I argue with God?

But I did, I said, "But Lord, I love them and I care about them and I want them to know you".

I was the first to get saved in my family, and have felt responsible for them. I want to be a good witness and I don't want them to miss out on what God has for each one of them. I want that more than anything!

Oh, so there's the key, I want that MORE than anything. I guess that is the definition of an idol, isn't it?

The Lord answered me and said, "Then let me be their God and stop playing God in their lives." I was so humbled. I didn't argue with God. I was speechless.

I sat quietly for a moment. I said, "Lord, I'm so sorry. I don't want anything between you and me."

And as quickly as I finished that prayer, the "game pieces" fell like dominoes. I was instantly at the foot of the cross, with nothing between me and Jesus!

The weight was taken off of my shoulders. The weight that I chose to carry. Jesus never asked me to carry that burden. Oh, he is so much better at being God than I am. I am free to set them free...and let Him be God!

So, check out the book. I am pretty sure God has a message for you somewhere in it too. And tell Rick I sent you...www.lostsecret.org.

A life changed by God is a blessed life! Be blessed!