Who's your daddy; knowing God as Abba Father: May 2011

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Restoration

"This old house" is a program that has become synonymous with making all things new again without disturbing the beauty or character of the original treasure. When my husband brought home a mantel to restore and install in our home, little did we realize that there were over 53 layers of woodwork in the design of this one hundred year old keepsake. Painstakingly, Doug raised the grain one layer at a time to not only "restore" the piece to its original condition but to "preserve" the character and quality of this priceless treasure. In many ways, God does the same thing in our lives.

"O Lord, by these things men live; And in all these things is the life of my spirit; So You will restore me and make me live." (Isaiah 38:16 NKJV)

When God allows us to be "stripped" it's not for our demise but for our renewal. If Doug had not painstakingly raised each grain by hand the beauty of the mantel would have been covered from the oxidization of the past. Our lives are much the same; it takes the steady continuous hand of God to raise the depth of our beauty and potential to the surface of our lives. Allowing God to raise the grain in us is always our choice. Should we resist, we will probably "miss" the greatest moment of our life and our purpose.

Thought to live by: What God restores, He redeems. What God redeems, He uses. What God uses, He blesses. Restored….redeemed…..blessed…..each connect to God's plan for our lives.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Mindfulness

President Obama made a declaration that he would "stay in touch" with the people when he entered into office in 2008. In doing so, he made a bold pledge; to read ten letters a day from American's. Why only "ten" a day, you might ask? Well…..if you received approximately 65,000 letters, 100,000 emails, 1,000 faxes and 2,500-3,500 phone calls a day, "ten a day" might sound more doable and focused.

"But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him?" Hebrews 2:6

Can we only imagine how many prayers God receives, daily? I'm certain the number is too high of a count for our imagination. So how can God be truly mindful of us, our needs and our individual lives? Amazingly, He just can……because He's God. The intimacy God desires with us is nothing compared to a President's genuine concern for the people of his country. A president is just a man trying to understand us, from a small sampling of people. God is creator of the universe trying to help us understand Him and His genuine love and compassion for us.

Thought to live by: As inconceivable as it may seem…..God is mindful of me.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Forgetfulness

Well known talk show host, Larry King, recently produced a mini-documentary on Alzheimer's interviewing Ronald Regan, Jr., son of former President Regan who unwittingly became a victim of the disease. As part of the documentary, Larry voluntarily underwent preliminary testing to determine if he was a possible candidate for "Dementia" aka Alzheimer's in his later years. At his own request, he kept the results to himself. During his interview with a doctor specializing in Alzheimer's, Larry asked for a simple explanation of the disease and if "forgetfulness" was a concerning red flag. "No" responded the doctor. "A better way to look at it would be not forgetting where I left my keys but not remembering what my keys are for." Forgiveness has a very funny way of working the same way. It's not forgetting what we were forgiven of but not remembering that we were when it comes our turn to forgive others.

"…….his fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, "Be patient with me and I will pay you back. But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt." Matthew 18:29-30

Alzheimer's robs its victim of the ability to recall the purpose of something, a familiar face or parts of their past. However, amidst all the "painfulness" of this disease the one thing left in tack is the humanity of the victim's spirit. They still instinctively know how to forgive. And in a twist of fate, they actually are much better at "forgetting", as well. When God has forgiven us of so much, over and over again, it's up to us to take His forgiveness and extend it to those we encounter cancelling the same "debt" we ourselves could not pay.

Thought to live by: Forgetting may come with time; but forgiveness eventually comes full circle.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Befriended

Facebook has brought a whole new meaning to being "befriended". With just one stroke, you're either "accepted", "blocked" or "unfriended" as a friend. It kind of reminds me of my high school days when we just wanted to be accepted unconditionally and included in a circle of favorable friends. Who likes being shunned, rejected and not included? The mere thought just breaks my heart and makes me want to seek out that person who falls outside the "circle of acceptance", just to show them they're unconditionally loved.

"A friend loves at all times" Proverbs 17:17

Friendship is possibly the most valuable gift we can give someone. It's enduring, selfless and unconditional. But being a friend requires more than just hitting the button of acceptance; it requires an action from the heart and a loyalty that sustains.

Thought to live by: True friendship loves at all times.

Monday, May 16, 2011

“Daytimers”

The entry of the "daytimer" universally made those who used it change their way of thinking about their day, altogether. I recall my first encounter with mine and how it not only organized my plans it subliminally kept me moving forward all day long. Now my Blackberry has taken its place and a "ring" has become my instant reminder that something important requires my immediate attention.

"The Lord gave me a message. He said, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world." (Jeremiah 1: 4-5)

Back in the day, God's intimacy with us was thought to be much more audible, intentional and direct. However, it probably wasn't much different than it is today; we're just busier and poor on time. The same God who spoke to a young Jeremiah speaks to each one of us, audibly, distinctly and directly, today. The question isn't "does God still speak to us?" but "are we listening?" We simply can't listen if we're too busy, if our calendar has weighed us down with demands and if we haven't made time to stop, pray and listen to God, today. If we believe that God knew us before we were even born then we believe God's word entirely; that we were set apart and appointed to be spokesmen to the world for Him. However….we can't speak about what we don't know or haven't heard.

Thought to live by: Just spending a few minutes listening and praying to God and meditating on His word each morning will determine the rest of our day.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Breaking point; when enough is enough!

Everyone has a breaking point, a place they reach when finally they declare they've had "enough". For each person, reaching that place can happen through an unexpected moment; a letter in the mail, a phone call, a text, an email, a pink slip, a turn off notice…. No is immune and everyone is entitled to declare they've had enough.

"We are pressed on every side by troubles, we are crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going." Corinthians 4: 8-9

Getting back up and going again requires our faith to be greater than our circumstances, creating in us the will to want to press on and live. If today you are facing astronomical odds, uncertainty and loss, reach for the hand that is reaching out to help you along your journey.

Thought to live by: We're never waiting on God but He's always waiting on us to ask for His help. Ask Him today and witness the difference a simple prayer can make in your life.