Becoming Every Day

I've often described myself as a "loved and forgiven child of God."  A week or so ago as I was talking to a dear family member, I stressed that I was a "flawed" and forgiven child of God.

Although that sounds, "surface good," it's good only as long as I will remember the forgiven part. I can then accept that I am no longer in the "flawed" catagory.  Jesus' death on the cross erased that part of my identity.  He made me clean and new.

Jesus' sacrifice for us changed our identity, but we can still keep on "becoming" - becoming more like Him.  Oh yes, we still struggle with the opportunity to mess up and mar the beautiful work that Jesus did when He died for us.  But we can still become examples, as dearly loved children of the King.  

Children, when they are asked what they  want to be, or to do when they grow up, may give grandious answers.  Possibly, they may plan on "becoming" an astronaut, the president, superman, or even like mom or dad.  

While they plan on "becoming" something special, they don't always know that they already are.  The innocence of that is so beautiful.  

And, as we grow and age, sometimes we forget that we can
still keep on "becoming."

So,  

May I greet each morning in a way
that I don't mar the beauty
of my Savior's sacrifice 

of love.

But, may I then remember it's ok 

to "keep becoming" as I pray,

awake, 

 "becoming " every day

 more like my Father, 

God above.

No matter where I am in life, I still want to strive to "keep becoming."

Words Again

more words

Words from the mouth of God
"Wisdom comes from the heart of God."

Quotes from the Book of Proverbs – The Bible

For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.  Out in the open wisdom calls aloud.  She raises her voice in the public square; on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech:

Every word of God is flawless. 

He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Proverbs 30:5 (NIV)

A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!

The soothing tongue is a tree of life.

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver.
    
The lips of the righteous nourish many.

The one who has understanding holds their tongue.

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves.

A gentle answer turns away wrath.
 
The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge.
     
The tongue of the wise brings healing.

Whoever would foster love covers over an offense.
    
The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.

You will notice that I chose to include only positive parts of those proverbs - If I had included the warnings, I wouldn't have been able to get them all on one post.  Besides these gave me plenty to think about and work on.  Wow! 

I took these thoughts from several versions of the Bible and you'll find that some of the wording might be a little different, but I've tried very hard to keep the thoughts true to the Bible.  

words

I've been thinking about words recently, having spent some time in the book of Proverbs.  There are so many references to the way we use our voices.  Next time I'll share the verses that really impacted my thoughts - but for now......

Words can help or hurt.

Words can wound or heal.

Words begin with thoughts.

Words show what we feel.

God has given speech to human-kind to use.

May I watch the words I say
and speak in such a way

that doesn't wound, it soothes.

Misunderstanding!

This is a strange  word, how can a person "miss" understand? 

 Sometimes when I speak, my words don't truly express true feelings - not lying, just not saying things in a way that speaks gently of what is really in my heart.

So many of our words today just become "sound bites."  They are little bites of noise that become what someone "expects" to hear, not what we really wanted to say to them.  

Maybe it's because we think that person will understand,  because they know us?  Or maybe we think they know us, and they truly don't.

Or, there are those who, by nature of their personalities, can just not say anything - just keep their opinions to themselves.  Many times I wish I was one of those people.  

There are also those who good-heartedly want to FIX, and while trying to do that. they feel they must say something!  

And of course there are those who of us that sometimes do not think, and we  just blurt out whatever is on our minds.

So what is the answer to this "miss" understanding?

I suppose that it would be to think before we speak.  

Wow!  That is a concept!

The Veil is Thinnng

 

Do you ever notice as the rain falls from on high

how it tends to touch your heart or makes you want to sigh?

Do you ever stop and think,

 and sadly wonder 

why? 

Could it be that you see God’s own tears within the sigh?

Tears full of love

Tears full of pride

But tears filled with pain,

because

you’re dissatisfied.

  

So when you feel the rain, the wetness on your face,

maybe you will wonder if it’s from another place.

Has the veil between your world and heaven perfect land

begun to thin,

as you begin

 to touch the Father’s hand?

 

God touches your heart in those “thin veil” ways, in the voice of a violin, the moon’s subtle rays.

 

Or

The scent

 that sweet perfume sends out in that hour

with

God’s comfort and peace from the heart of a flower.

 

Has the veil between your world and heaven’s perfect land

 begun to thin

as you begin

to feel your Father’s hand?

This morning 

May I fall on my knees in humble awareness

of your glory, your majesty, power and might.

May I look at the sunrise in wide-eyed amazement

at the brilliance, the splendor, you hid in the night.

May my heart fill with wonder at the sparkle of dew drops 

May I wake to the presence of you in my sight.

May I see that the morning is painted with beauty

on the canvas of love,

By  

The painter

The Light.

Today's Morning Prayer

Lord, for all you are and do, I praise and worship you.

Alive in your presence this morning, my God

I wake with the sweet morning dew.

Please make me aware of your spirit and love, 

so this day I’ll draw closer to you.

In my life I have followed a wandering road.

 running where fickle winds blew. 

But today, Father,

show me the path I must take  

to walk ever closer to you.

Many days in this life have been stained with the ink  

of evil and darkness and sin.

But those stains 

you have softened with peace from your heart,

and I'm blessed to feel peace once again, 

to be held in your arms once again.

Lord, I find that 

broken hearts and great pain in the people you love,

may demand that I feel their pain too,

and to reach high above my everyday strength 

to show them a love sent from you.

As the road brings me near to the end of the journey,

let me walk that path slowly with you.

Help me take smaller steps and open my eyes.

Help me listen more than I tend to do.

Let me know as I weaken in body or mind

the ways I can still reflect you.

May I show them the path next to you

is where safety and beauty shine through.

Love, Diane

Empty?

Do you ever feel empty – like there’s nothing in you anymore? I think that sometimes we all feel that way, especially as we age. 

Today I want to look at that feeling – that feeling of emptiness, in a different way.   I believe that being empty is not always a bad thing.

When we are empty handed, God’s hands fill all our needs.
When we can’t even do the little things, we may find God doing everything.
When we don’t have the strength to move, God will hold us up.

When our hearts and lives feel empty our loving Savior will fill those empty places with His Spirit.

When I think about being empty, of course I think about a cup of coffee.  I love my coffee.   But, if the cup is half full and it’s been sitting around, and we fill it up with hot coffee – all the coffee in that cup becomes lukewarm and loses its flavor.  

But when the cup is empty, and we fill it with fresh hot coffee – it’s wonderful! 

So, Being empty is not always a bad thing.

Maybe we need to empty ourselves – to get rid of the idea that we can handle everything without God’s help. We struggle to solve life’s problems, but resting on God’s goodness and love is really what we need to do.

Much of the time we have the idea that we can do life on our own.  Maybe when we realize that we don’t have the answer to the troubles that haunt us and realize that our storehouse is pretty empty, then we can open our hearts and minds to what God wants us to know.  Then He will fill us.

When you think you’re in control, you become so full of yourself that there is no room for God to come into your heart and fill you.

In the Bible, John 4 tells us about a woman at the well.  Jesus asked her for a drink of water, and she asked him why He, a Jewish man, would ask her, a Samaritan woman, for water.

This is what John writes.

Jesus answered her. “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?  . . . “

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water (in the well) will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus told us that we never need to be empty.  He will become our spring of water welling up to eternal life.  As we fill our minds with the knowledge of our Savior, as we trust in Him to provide love, and friendship, comfort, direction, strength, and peace, we will feel the warmth of His unfailing care and we will be filled.

Empty is when there is nothing left but God and you discover that He is all you need.

Unless we give control to Him

our zest for life is stilled.

Unless we know our emptiness, we never will be filled.