Jesus loves me, this I know. This category is about Jesus, the Living Word, my prayers to Him, my worship of Him, His relentless pursuit of my heart and His invitation to me to come to Him in Sabbath, my Savior, my Rest.
My blog disappeared yesterday for at least 6 hours. I got panicked, but the amazing Tristan got me back up and running. I was thinking I would miss re-reading the things God has shown me that I have written here and even now go back to. They are markers of His faithfulness, reminders of the things He has been teaching me over the past 2 years and a couple of months. I would just really miss it if I lost them.
Dave says I need to save copies. But I have truly used it as an online web-log=blog!
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On a cuter note ~ this morning during our “school time,” as I watched Hunter coloring the crap out of his worksheet, I asked, with all true sincerity, because I was thinking perhaps he had just never thought about slowing it down and concentrating on what those lines were there for to begin with, “Hunter, have you ever considered coloring inside the lines?”
To which he actually replied, “No, I’m not a ‘line kind of guy.’ I’m an out of line kind of guy.” And, he is.
Relieved and amused, all in one day!…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: Back up writing. Take a cue from Hunter about coloring outside the lines.
pictured: Hunter getting to do a back-flip, one week ago
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is the tree of life.” Proverbs 3.12
The new President of the United States, Barack Obama, came to us with great excitement and a lot of fanfare this week. His speech was amazing; the whole inauguration, very inspiring. Everything feels exciting and new. The word “hope” echoes from the hallways these days, as President Obama has energetically taken the bull by the horns these past few days.
A few minutes ago, without the media blitz characterizing the rest of this week and one day after the anniversery of Roe vs. Wade, the President ended the Bush administration’s ban on giving federal money to international groups that provide abortions.
“A White House spokesman, Bill Burton, said Obama signed an executive order on the ban, without coverage by the media, late Friday afternoon. That was in contrast to the midday signings with fanfare of executive orders on other subjects earlier in the week.”
Robin, my brother Joe’s wife, is one of my closest friends. I wish I could explain why, in a way that would validate it and at least bring it some redemption, we weren’t close friends for about 23 or 24 years. Not even friends, really. Just sister-in-laws with the emphasis on the in-law part. Intimidated by her smarts, her insights and my own stupidity, I held her at arm’s length. Other than knowing the enemy didn’t ever want to see us in agreement, hearts filled with love in God-pleasing unity – there isn’t a good reason. It was a waste of time. I tell her now, “I am so sorry for the years we missed. Please forgive me.” Now she is a treasured friend, confidante and truly a sister of my heart (not to mentioned a really anointed and insightful Bible teacher).
She emailed me this encouragement yesterday (with just the tiniest bit of editing to protect the innocent):
I think you need to press on. That is my word to your from my own experience. I have allowed despair to thwart forward motion…despair paralyzes [people who] then tuck all hopes and dreams in a little pocket for the good times. It never happens. [The question is] how to rise above and do what we are called to do in the midst of hurt, hopelessness and despair, but I know we are to do it. I am not sure why this Scripture stood out to me this morning but I am thinking it may help both of us.
Mt. 11:19 – “But wisdom is shown to be right by what results from it.” NLT
Contextually, John the Baptist, in prison, sends his disciples out to find out if Christ is really the Messiah. Remember, he saw the dove. Why would he wonder now? I think John the Baptist is completely confused by the fact that he is in prison. Why me and why this.
A little further on Jesus says, “For John the Baptist didn’t drink wine and he fasted and you say, he’s demon possessed. I, the Son of Man, feast and drink and you say, He’s a glutton and a drunkard and a friend of the worst sinners.” Then he says “But wisdom is shown to be right by what results from it.”
Sometimes in life, nothing makes sense. Decisions we make to do something for God seem completely out of the norm and make no sense to the others…Just like Jesus said, they are going to say whatever, but in the end, the wisdom will prove itself by the results. I realize it is so hard to trust what you believe God is saying and just do it, but I say, do it. The results will prove the wisdom in it.
I am so blessed, Robin. Thanks for hanging in there with me…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: Beg God to restore the years the locust has eaten. It is ridiculous to live without the beauty of the relationships we could be having…
pictured: some business cards Stormie was helping Robin put together. Not sure which one she finally chose (or if i was a combination of a couple), but I obviously love the red one on the bottom and that charcoal gray and red one on the top right!
You children of the 70s will recognize the title of this blog referencing the song, “Easy” by the Commodores. Frankly, church girl that I was, I couldn’t relate to the metaphor of Sunday being easy back then because Sundays were the hardest day of the week (Sunday morning church, people for Sunday dinner, choir practice at 4, Sunday night church, etc), but it was intriguing.
Sometimes I still cannot grasp the truth of what Jesus said about life following Him – that to follow Him would be to find rest for our souls (our minds, our wills, our emotions – our very personalities!) He even said that His yoke (which was a wooden beam used to tie two oxen together as they trudged forward in their very hard labor) would be easy. Easy. Seriously? When? Where?
What is the essence of what Jesus really said? Well, here it is 3 ways (Mt. 11.28-30):
“Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” NIV
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” THE MESSAGE
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-ladened and are overburdened, and I will cause you to rest [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls]. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp or pressing, but comfortable, gracious and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne. THE AMPLIFIED
Following Jesus is following REST!
Following Jesus and His plan for my days is NOT: ill-fitting (having a job to do but being stripped of the resources or authority to do it), heavy, harsh, hard, sharp (pain-causing), or pressing (can’t seem to stay ahead – losing your breath, feeling pushed), wearisome, burdensome, hard work (work is good, a blessing, but there is a work that is just nothing but hard and life-sapping), loud and abrasive.
Following Jesus and His plan for my days IS: go to Him, run, maybe. Because He is gentle and I will find rest for my whole being because He is going to give me rest! In Him? Real rest, recovery, living the abundant life freely, lightly. Ease. Relief. Refreshment. He’ll re-create me. And blessed quiet for my mind, my will, my emotions. Quiet for my emotions! I am sensing/feeling freer and lighter already!
And His call on my life? The work (good works) He prepared for me before time began (Eph. 2.10)? Easy. Light. Comfortable, gracious, and pleasant. Not to mention wholesome (whole, not fragmented, and holy).
I’ll trade this for all the churchy titles and religious service I have done all my life any day. Where do I sign up?…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: I am going to Him. I am going to follow Him and watch how He does this thing. I want to do life the way Jesus did…this is vital to life…”Why in the world would anybody put chains on me…”
Go to www.soaking.net and click on the (instrumental) music-only pop-up player. Cut the volume back by about half.
Open a new tab in www.biblegateway.com, scrolling down to “Listen to the Bible.” Click on that and then select Psalm 119 using the drop-down boxes.
You’ll hear Max McClean’s gentle and generally un-annoying voice reading the Word about the Word (the laws, the statutes and decrees, the commands and precepts, His Word, His way) to an amazingly beautiful soundtrack of worship. The music goes on and on. I re-play Max reading Psalm 119 three times. That equals about an hour of the water of the Word washing over you like a fresh brook flowing.
The first time, I listened and just let the Word do some mending, re-adjusting and healing. The second time, I prayed it to the Lord for all I was worth, just repeating in my own words what the narrator was saying as he read. The third time through, I grabbed pen and paper and wrote the words and phrases that stuck out to me, were illuminated, things like: You are good and what You do is good…Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I may lodge… and …Your promise preserves my life…
This was how I spent my “Tent time” this morning (www.thetentdenver.com), joining other worshipers aound the metro-area in “creating a canopy of continuous praise.”
FromKnocking at God’s Door – A Little Book of Prayers by Oswald Chambers, the January 13 prayer is:
O Lord, how excellent it is to commune with Thee in the early morning hours. Enable me by patience to reproduce these exalted moments of calm into the activities of the day.
That Oswald could pray. I say AMEN to that!…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: I was made to worship Him. I was born for this – lingering, praising, bringing Him honor. Seven times a day….
The devil may wear Prada, but the devil don’t get my days.
“…that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land…” Deuteronomy 11.21
“Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous laws.” Psalm 119.164
Psalm 31.15 “…My times are in Your hands…”
“The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equalyour days.” Deuteronomy 33.25
“No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” Joshua 1.5
“In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.” Psalm 37.19
“Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90.12
“All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139.16b
On the 7th day of Christmas we say good-bye to 2008.
I am pondering: if I could change one thing about this past year, what would I want to change? And the only thing I can think of that was unbearable, I couldn’t change or I’d never have learned from God what I needed to in that thing – which will keep me from having to face it again in 2009. Hallelujah!
So then, is my answer: nothing – not one thing could or should be changed?
Peace to you, my friends, my readers. Peace and joy to you as we pass from one calendar year to another. Blessings to you in all you do. I wish you wholeness and healing in 2009. I wish you repair in the broken places and hope for the future. I wish you a double portion of any love you have ever given, the reward for every sacrifice you have made to bless another.
Remember, though this year is at its end and this season is passed-your story isn’t yet. He is your Author and He is your Finisher…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF:It has all, every little thing, been worth it to know You tonight like this. Dang, some of it hurt, but wow-You are so faithful, mighty God! You are so loving. I am amazed.
“…I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the LORD…” Pslam 77.10b-11a NKJV
I LOVE Christmas! I am not a very exuberant person by nature, not easily just all happy and light-hearted, but give me a vision and some understanding and I come alive. My Holy-Holiday-Calling is to remember and release a spirit of rejoicing in myself and in others as we make Jesus Christ and worshipping Him central to our sincere and over-the-top Christmas celebrating! And for all of the days of the year to follow…
“Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORDis your strength.” Nehemiah 8.10
The joy of the LORD is your strength. Are you hearing the sound?
This is the truth of this Christmas season for me. This is the message of hope God has directed me to over and again. This is the revelation of the gospel I am just beginning to understand. This is what the Apostle Paul tried to get through to the Philippians when he said “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, Rejoice!” (Ph 4.4). This is what I heard for the millionth and the very first time this Christmas season. It is the words you hear Linus recite in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and a sweet child’s voice inserted into Amy Grant’s 2008 Christmas hit, “I Need a Silent Night.” It is the truth above the roar of busyness and my epiphanic-fervor:
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of GREAT JOYwhich will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the City of David a Saviorwho is Christ the Lord.'” Luke 2.8-11 NKJV
The revelation of Jesus Christ and His arrival as our Savior was good news of great joy! Our strength indeed!
The Jesus and joy connection?
“I have told you this so that My joymay in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15.11).
“Ask and you wll receive and your joywill be complete” (John 16.24).
“But I say these things…so that they may have the full measure of My joywithin them” (John 17.13).
God set forth (even commanded) celebrations for the purpose of joy for the people. One example:
“And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and the children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicingin Jerusalem could be heard far away” (Neh. 12.43)
Joy is a verb. You gotta take action.
“I will rejoice in the Lord. I will JOY in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3.18).
Jack Hayford’s notes in The Spirit-Filled Life NKJV Study Bible gives this on the word “joy” in Habakkuk:
JOY: Strong’s 1523: To joy, rejoice, be glad…contains the suggestion of “dancing for joy” or “leaping for joy” since this verb originally meant to “spin around with intense motion.” This lays to rest the notion that the Biblical concept of joy is only a “quiet inner sense of well-being.”…altho everything is wrong in Habakkuk’s world-he is leaping for joy over his relationship with God …
These can be joyless times. The “holiday season” may have just been one more drain on you after a year of disappointment or lack. The condition of our nation may be bringing fear. Religious duty, a significant loss in our lives, strain in our marriages, unhappiness at work or any number of things may cause us to put on the smile-mask a Christian “should” wear and yet feel as flat and used up as the neighbor’s giant inflatable Santa looks on the lawn this morning.
But the good tidings of great joy are for me and for you. So how do we appropriate it? How do we walk in the kind of joy that gives us the strength we need to endure? Repeat the sounding joy.
The sounding joy? Good news! Great joy! I have a Savior! He came to save me! I think I’ll jump up and twirl and spin around like a madwoman while I echo the angels as loudly as I can: Glory to God in the highest! Glory to the God of my salvation! And peace to us here on earth, goodwill towards us from You, Father!
It is possible, I truly believe, that this act of joy as a verb – to joy – may actually begin to bring true giddy life-giving happiness to my soul. The sounding joy: God is God! He is faithful! He rules! He reigns! I receive my King! I join with all heaven and nature in rejoicing that the curse has been broken on my behalf! He has saved me from certain death and a joyless existence! Glory to God in the highest!
Repeat the sounding joy. Repeat the sounding joy. Repeat, repeat the sounding joy!
Not just at Christmas, but – as needed!
Joy! Seriously – be glad and dance a little!…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: Don’t let the enemy steal my joy! Not one day. Worship and crazy praise a must!
pictured: an etsy.com image, Stephanie on Christmas morning (in the midst of physical joy!) finding out she had received the antique oak dining table and chairs she really wanted, and the chalkboard in the kitchen with my “epiphanic” stuff on it (and I am preety sure I invented that word this Christmas!)
Gavin 5, Hunter 4, Guini 3, Gemma 1 1/2, and Averi on her first Christmas – 10 1/2 months.
Good tidings of great joy to you and yours…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: I could even plan to get my Christmas card photo taking done in like, October or November next year! (?) !
Thanks again to Tredessa and Tara for the photos, Wrex and Stef for the awesome locale and animals, Stormie for putting this together for me even though she is unbelievably busy, and to my children who have blessed me with these amazing five grandchildren. And thank You, Father, for the joy…
