Category Archives: Family

The Orphan in Me

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Orphaned

The Orphan in Me

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 16
Reflections on John 10 – 14

“I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back.” John 14:18

There are moments and days when I begin to think, feel, and live as an orphan…as though I don’t have a Heavenly Father that loves me deeply and is involved in every detail of my life. I’m impatient, grumpy, defensive and selfish. “I wish there were shortcuts to wisdom and self-knowledge: cuter abysses or three-day spa wilderness experiences. Sadly, it doesn’t work out that way.”  [1] I repent, I smell as a dirty orphan this morning.  I wish there was a quick fix or pressing the “easy button” would snap me out of this. “There is no such shortcut, only a repentant faith, which is better by far.” [2]

[1] Ann Lamont, Stitches | [2] Scotty Smith, Everyday Prayers

Orphaned

About 40 Gifts of Lent 

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent

#LentChallenge
Sandra Heska King - Still Saturday

She Collided Into More Grace

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I want to see

 She Collided Into More Grace

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 15

Reflections on John 6 – 9

“…One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”  John 9:25

About four years ago, she was spiraling into a black hole of depression, doubting God’s love for her, questioning her purpose in life. Her faith was becoming shattered and trust was replaced with doubt. Her mind, will, and emotions were exhausted, fragile, drying up and withering away. Nothing made sense anymore. Prayers were lifeless and she felt that God was not listening. Was God there in this mess she was going through?

She ventured further on a path of addiction and hopelessness…careening further from truth, driving blindly through a storm towards a train wreck.

The flashing red lights warning of an approaching train was suddenly noticed, the crossing gate did not come down…she was immediately on the track. She looked to the right through the window…the sound of the train’s whistle pierced the silence, along with her terrifying scream as the enormous bright light of the oncoming train swallowed the darkness where she sat behind the wheel of her car.

The only explanation she has for what happened next is a miracle of God’s immense love and mercy for her.

Within seconds…in a flash she looked at her rear-view mirror to see the train speed by with the sounds of the screaming whistle and screeching wheels pulsing in her chest…and she wept and wept and wept.

If you happen to ask her about all of that, she will tell you that she heard God call her name immediately after she crossed those tracks. And she will tell you that simultaneously, her eyes were opened to believing God was in the mess with her. He was in control of her life. And the mess she was living was his perfect plan and his perfect storm to reveal his glory to her.

She knows he pursued her when she was blind and desperate. She collided into more grace. She has never been the same.

 

Collided into GraceThe tracks where she collided into grace

 

About 40 Gifts of Lent

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. I want to focus on the freedom I have in Christ to overcome strongholds, yet also to gain strength, hope, and peace as I lean into the trials…To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent

#LentChallenge

Completely Known and Still Loved

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To Never Thirst Again

Completely Known

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 14

Reflections on John 1 – 5

“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” John 4:29

She goes to the well in search of water and has a collision with the transforming power of the gospel of grace. Her soul is thirsty to be satisfied with something more…but she has looked for it in all the wrong places. She is broken, lonely, and in need of real love and acceptance.

She doesn’t know what she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know that she needs Jesus.

And there you are, Jesus, understanding who she is. You know everything about her, everything she has done and every place she has been. Yet, because you are a wonderful, merciful savior you are not condemning but accepting, not shaming but cherishing, not ridiculing but redeeming her forever.

There is nothing I have ever done or ever will do that will prevent you from pursuing me. You know me completely. You go to the dark places where I live to shine your light of grace and mercy.

I need to collide into grace everyday…moment by moment. It is a gift to be pursued by you…to be completely known and still loved.  You are the Messiah.

To Never Thirst Again

 

About 40 Gifts of Lent 

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. I want to focus on the freedom I have in Christ to overcome strongholds, yet also to gain strength, hope, and peace as I lean into the trials…To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent

#LentChallenge

On The Road to Emmaus Meet the Hero of the Story

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Emmaus 1

On The Road to Emmaus, Meet the Hero of the Story

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 13

Reflections on Luke 20 – end

Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Luke 24:17 (NASB)

We often read the Bible as if it were fundamentally about us: our improvement, our life, our triumph, our victory, our faith, our holiness, our godliness. We treat it like a book of timeless principles that will give us our best life now if we simply apply those principles. We treat it, in other words, like it’s a heaven-sent self-help manual. But by looking at the Bible as if it were fundamentally about us, we totally miss the Point…like the two on the road to Emmaus.

As Luke 24 shows, it’s possible to read the Bible, while missing the whole point of the Bible. It’s entirely possible to read the stories and miss the real Story.

Contrary to popular assumptions, the Bible is not a record of the blessed good, but rather the blessed bad. The Bible is not a witness to the best people making it up to God; it’s a witness to God making it down to the worst people. The OT predicts God’s rescuer; the NT presents God’s rescuer.

There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them. So, if we read the Bible asking first, “What would Jesus do?” instead of asking “What has Jesus done” we’ll miss the good news that alone can set us free.

In all of its pages and throughout all of its stories, the Word of the Lord reveals the Lord of the Word. Some people think the Bible is a book of heroes, showing you people you should copy. The Bible does have some heroes in it, but (as you’ll soon find out) most of the people in the Bible aren’t heroes at all. They make some big mistakes (sometimes on purpose), they get afraid and run away. At times, they’re downright mean.

The gift is the plot line of the Bible, which is Jesus-centered. He is the Hero of the Story.

Adapted and Quoted from The Gospel Coalition | Tullian Tchividjian | Reading the Stories and Missing the Story | Reading the Bible Narcissistically

Emmaus

About 40 Gifts of Lent 

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. I want to focus on the freedom I have in Christ to overcome strongholds, yet also to gain strength, hope, and peace as I lean into the trials…To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent

#LentChallenge

I Want to See!

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II want to see

I Want to See!

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 12

Reflections on Luke 13 – 19

“What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Luke 18:51  (NIV)

There was a time when I couldn’t see clearly at all. I packed for an extended trip out-of-town without an extra set of contact lenses or packing my standard go-to pair of eye glasses. Unaware that I had forgotten to pack either, I tossed the contact lenses, that I had already worn for a month, down the drain. Upon realizing my circumstance, It wasn’t long before a substantial panic attack ensued. I was stranded in a haze of blurred color and fuzzy shapes until someone came to rescue me.

I don’t take for granted that I can see the bright color of flowers and the sharp bending of branches in a magnificent tree or the sparkling twinkling eyes of my granddaughter when she laughs with me. Yes, I am thankful for my sight…but many days and much too often, I remain blind. Images of people in need are blurred. The needs of the homeless and children on the street are hazy.

I wrote about experiencing a radical mercy, yet I avoid noticing…I avoid looking, to see the way of grace and mercy.

So, I pray, “Lord, I want to see.”  I want to see beyond the skin of the hurting person seeking help. I want to see that child, with needs that are woven in a special tapestry, so different from others. I want to see clearly how to make a difference…I want to see how to leave an imprint for the glory of God.

“I want to see!” I need God to rescue  me. I need to pray this everyday. The gift is when God restores my sight, I will see His grace and I will show and live His grace and mercy to others.

 It should be the thing that greets your mind and fills your heart as you wake each morning. It should be your final thought as you settle in for a night of sleep. It should define how you face your day, and it should shape your self-reflections. It should be the thing that directs how you respond to others. It should be at the forefront of your thoughts in times of trouble or disappointment. It should alter how you think about finances, possessions, decisions, relationships, and everything else. It should be a central theme of your existence. It’s so huge, so gorgeous, and so glorious that once it gets hold of you, you’ll never be the same again. I am talking about God’s grace ~Paul David Tripp

I want to see 2

About 40 Gifts of Lent 

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent

#LentChallenge

A Radical Experience of Mercy

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A New Mercy

A Radical Experience of Mercy

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 11

Reflections on Luke 9 – 12

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them.”  Luke 9:51 – 55 (ESV)

Why didn’t the fire come down on the Samaritans?  Because of His radical mercy, they (you and me) are not consumed.

His face is set towards Jerusalem where he will take the fire upon himself…he will be immersed in the judgement of God. He got what we deserved.

He came to take it. He came to bear it. Luke 9:22 says, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected…and on the third day be raised to life.” They rejected him, shouldn’t they be rejected?

A radical mercy means that he’s rejected for us. The Son of Man came to be rejected and to be killed. He is the living mercy. And because of his mercy..we have a new priority in life and a new identity through Christ.

The judgment we unquestionably deserved, He completely exhausted on the cross. [1]

You have to be melted and amazed and astounded that he took the fire, the punishment, for you and that’s the key to everything else. You cannot have a new identity without a radical experience of mercy. Without a radical experience of grace. Without a radical experience of love. [2]

The gift for us is living this radical mercy toward others when we are rejected.

A new mercy 2 [1] Scotty Smith quote | [2] Tim Keller quote

About 40 Gifts of Lent 

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent

#LentChallenge

The Call to Go Deeper

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Put out into the deep

The Call to Go Deeper

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 10
Reflections on Luke 5 – 8

[Jesus] said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4

I know you have been working hard and your nets are empty
Put out into the deep
I understand you want to give up
Put out into the deep and let down your nets
Yes, I see you are tired but please trust me
Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch

Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” Luke 5:5

Obedience requires faith
Faith results in action
Action reaps rewards

And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking…and the boats began to sink. Luke 5:6 7

Trust Him
Believe Him
Go Deeper

And when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Luke 5:8

Be amazed at His glory
Be broken in humbleness
Be contrite in spirit

Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching men.”  And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. Luke 5:10 – 11

He calls you
Come follow me
Go Deeper

“Follow me because I’m the King you’ve been looking for. Follow me because I have authority over everything, yet I have humbled myself for you. I want you to keep trusting me; to stick with me, not turn back not give up, turn to me in disappointments … I’m going to take you places that will make you say, ‘Why in the world are you taking me there?’ Even then I want you to trust me.” ~Tim Keller, King’s Cross

Put out into the deep 1

About 40 Gifts of Lent 

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent

#LentChallenge
Sandra Heska King - Still Saturday

A Solitary Place

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A solitary place

A Solitary Place

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 9
Reflections on Luke 1 – 4

At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place… Luke 4: 42

I would find her there, in a secluded place alone. As a girl, I thought she needed this solitary time because she wanted to get away from us kids. But actually she needed this space to get away with God.

My childhood home always had more people living in it than the family that resided there. We had extra cots and air mattresses when there wasn’t enough beds. Our supper table had extra folding chairs squeezed between and I learned to spoon soup into my mouth with my elbows tucked into my side. Mom served us all with joy and grace as our home became a lighthouse of escape for many.

Over time, even the good things will take its toll, clamoring for peace and competing for rest. There’s the danger of pride crowding humbleness, pushing it aside…tempting us to focus on ourselves, thinking we can do it all.  We focus more on the people needing our attention, their voices wanting to be heard and the food cooking on the stove while the sheets need to be washed and the children are asking for help with homework.

All of the good busy things crowd the one best thing.

Now years later, here I am repeating her life in many ways.

I think of my Mom going to a solitary place to unwind her crowded thoughts, to be refreshed and focus her energy off of herself (and others) and instead on to Christ. Taking time to be alone with God was a gift to herself and to her family.

Thank you Mom, your life is a gift that keeps on giving long after you’ve gone.

“Solitude molds self-righteous people into gentle, caring, forgiving persons who are so deeply convinced of their own great sinfulness and so fully aware of God’s even greater mercy that their life itself becomes ministry.” ~Henri Nouwen, The Way of the Heart

A Solitary Place 2

About 40 Gifts of Lent 

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. I want to focus on the freedom I have in Christ to overcome strongholds, yet also to gain strength, hope, and peace as I lean into the trials…To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent

#LentChallenge

Five Minute Friday

Linking up at Five Minute Friday to write five minutes about the word: CROWD