Choosing to Walk in Love

It's Friday and what a wonderful Friday it is- so beautiful! I went to the YMCA earlier today. Back in May I lost my YMCA card- and you have to pay to get a new one. The cheapskate that I am- I just say I don't have my card- they look me up- and then I get in. Well, today the same lady has been behind the desk and she said- you really should bring your card. I responded by saying- I've lost it- and then she says- have you checked your pockets? Which I have- checked everywhere- it's been since May...Now, I realize I do look younger than my age; however I hope I don't look like I'm in high school. As I continued to work out, my mind continues to think about this- feeling like I had been treated as a child as I think of telling her that I'm in my upper 20s. But then, my mind remembers what the sermon was on Sunday- choosing to walk in love. So as I headed up to the desk, I had already determined to choose to walk in love. I initiated saying goodbye to this lady while smiling and conversed with another YMCA employee; and then this lady came over and displayed kindness and asked what type of card I had. The LORD wants to us to walk in love- even when people don't initiate kindness, even when people don't return kindness; but at times- when you choose to walk in love, others will change and their hearts soften and kindness will be reciprocated.

Babies

Today I got to spend a little time with my newest cousin- isn't she cute? When I think about babies, they are so little and precious. So depedendent upon their mommies and daddies. I love how they engage with their parents- they do recognize their mommy's voice and when others talk be drawn to the voice they know best. As children of the Father- I want to listen to His voice, to rejoice over His voice as He interacts with Me and attend to His voice over all others. Yet when we grow up sometimes our view of our Father can get distorted. We view all of the world and see all of the wrong around us; however when we were a baby we viewed just our provider and our eyes were fixed on our loving parent. Just as new parents dote over their new creation; how much more does the Lord continue to dote on us- He loves us :) We are His beautiful creation!

Dayton Dragons

This past Friday I got to go to a Dayton Dragons. This was my first game and I did it up right! I had a gracious friend give me ticket and even more exciting for him he got to throw out the first pitch. Because he was the special guest, we all got to go down and check out the dugouts and stand on the field. We could even get autographs; however, the sad thing was I knew no one on the team. Plus they all looked like babies! The oldest player on the team was 23 years of age. I got to talk to two of the pitchers as I hope I hadn't offended them as I said- you all look so young! Yeah, they said, some of them were straight out of high school- they had been out of high school for three years. Babies. But it was fun- very entertaining, even though the Dragons lost :( But I highly recommend the games there!

Light out of the Darkness

Wow- last Monday the sky was sooo beautiful. My picture just doesn't do the sky justice as it looked prior to me taking the picture. As the sun broke through the clouds- I thought of the Lord and how His lightness breaks through the darkness. It's penetrating and you're drawn to the light because of the contrast of the darkness.

Sex, got your attention didn't I??!!

For those of you, my loyal readers :), I think this is a first. Two postings in one day. I've been reading in Jude lately. It's this small book in the back of the Bible right before Revelation. Today I read verse 7- as there is only one book in Jude. As I read the verse I see in America today, a problem today with sex outside of marriage. Man, there creates in me a fear of God when He says that just like Sodom and Gommorrah (some things don't change) two cities where sex was rampant both hetrosexually and homosexually and how these cities were destroyed as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. Notice that word eternal- I looked it up in the original language, and that is what it means- perptual, forever. There are serious implications to having sex outside of marriage. Sometimes I think we forget about our God of justice- yes God is love but within that is justice. God did not create us in this way- but he created us to enjoy sex wihtin marriage; this is what God has designed and it's good, but there are serious implications when it's outside of marriage.

Knowledge....but more importantly love

As I take a step back- something that I desire to attain is more knowledge. Whether at work- I think, man, I should know this or I may feel inadequate because I don't "know" enough. "Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies." 1 Cor 8:1b. The verse goes on to say, "If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him." Aahhh, that's what I love about the LORD. I can't give Him knowledge, He knows everything- He's omniscient; however, what I can give Him is love. When I seek knowledge, am I seeking it b/c of pride- for what I know in my job to make me look better or to impress others, or is the root of my knowledge love- to give knowledge out of love. He knows our heart. I'm so glad of God's design- how Great is our God- He desires Love!!! Loving Him and loving others!!

lost and found!

Last year I got the coolest toe ring in Florida. It's silver and wraps around and it has this cute little flower on it. Well, I loved it and then I lost it like around the last of the summer last year. As I was emptying my makeup case- all of it- there was my beloved little toe ring. Yippeee! I think I even was more excited b/c it had been such a long time since I had seen it. Then I thought of the Father- and the Prodigal Son story. This story is about a son- who squanders his inheritance his father gave him and finally when in desperation the son returns home to the dad. His father sees him coming and runs- picture it- runs to his son and greets him with a kiss and killing a fatted calf, a high honor. I think of God's kids and how excited He most be when a child who has been lost of a lengthened amount of time returns and is found. The angels and the LORD are yelling Yippeeee! But, so much more beautifully :) So if you are far from the Lord come to Him, He's beckoning you to come to Him. His love is like NO other. He loves you, so much so as He's showed it to the point of death. Never forget He loves you and nothing you have done can prevent you from coming back to him....come to Him.

whirlwind

Wow- what a weekend....where to start. Last night was truly a blessing. My grandmother will be having hip replacement surgery this week and last night my family all had pizza and we looked at some old pictures. Very fun to see the resemblences of different family members. I love pictures. After my grandma's house, I went to my brother's church. It is always a blessing to go there. Truly the Lord's presence is there- you can feel Him. It's amazing this church- stuck in the middle of no where, really and in an old school house, yet so much life comes forth from that church. The young man that was speaking was talking about mediating on God's word; so refreshing. It's amazing to me- that when I arrived I was pretty pooped out and then listening to the Word of the Lord reenergizes me. Then we prayed- I loved that people had posted their prayer requests and people would just go over and pick some and pray. Then today at church was good- I love this verse- I need to meditate on this one: "So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work." Having a mind to work- on the days that I may feel lazy, or days that I don't think I can get things done- having a mind to work. Then one of the gals from church came over and we had a nice time. Then, all of these bombardments- reading a support letter from a lady who works with Campus Crusade of a fellow staff member who was 35 who died from a brain tumor who has two little boys. Oh, my heart was saddened; but lingering on this sadness or prayers that had gone up and the disappointment....but then the Lord reminded me of His grace- that this man is with Him; that God will provide for his family; that Jesus wept over his friend's death; that nothing seperates us from the love of God. That praising God through the storm, is of sooo high importance.

Sweet forgiveness

Do you ever have one of those days, where you wonder about your actions; and if you responded how you should have. Then comes the sweetness of the LORD. Oh, how I love his sweetness. I was reading in My Utmost for His Highest today's devotional entitled "The Greatest Source of Power". "What is the greatest source of power in my life? Is it my work, service, and sacrifice for others, or is it my striving to work for God? It should be none ohese- what ought to exert the greatest power in my life is the atonement of the Lord." Jesus's sweet atonement for me. I can come to Him, ask for forgiveness and He holds me and makes me blameless- sweet forgiveness. There is nothing like it.

10K Baby!

Yes- after the Octoberfest that I did in 2003 I swore I would never do a 10K again, but then came the Troy Strawberry Festival. Completed in: 55:02- now I'm a bit sore and still tired! But, I'm not feeling like I did when I completed the Octoberfest! Good job to my fellow running companions: Mitsu and Christine! We did it!

Processing

I'm using my blog to process my conversations that I had today. For right now my spirit is grieved. I just feel it in my chest- sadness. How I want people to know Jesus. What really does keep people from this free gift we have in Christ. As I think of the Farmer's Market, where we hand out free water- it's free and this is just a simple less than a dollar gift and there are people that refuse this free gift- I am sure for a number of reasons; but on the otherhand this free gift that God gives is immeasurable so valuable, eternal, so necessary, so full of life; however people refuse this gift as well- maybe again for a number of reasons.

I am saddened how the evil one distorts and how he is a liar. How humanity distorts who God is and His Son- how the LORD wants belief= belief in who He is- not to make Him into something that He is not. I'm reminded of God's kingdom and how a kingdom is different- there is a supreme authority. That is who my God is a supreme King- a loving King. God, does this sadden Your heart when people don't believe in Your goodness? I can't imagine. I want to shout- God is good and His mercies endureth forever. His mercy endureth because we are sinful- people are sinful- I sin, George Bush sins, my pastor sins, priests sin. However, God is not sinful and sin makes Him sad. How He longs to make people sinless and pure again through the atonement (payment) for our sin through His Son Jesus. That is love- that Jesus loved us so much that He died for us that we could be made blameless- to be brought back into His original perfect plan. That there is eternal life though Jesus Christ and Him alone. It saddens me that people see this as narrow- but it's beautiful- that God dwelt among us- Emmanuel and He came to be our payment so we could have hope that He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him (Jesus), since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens' who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, b/c this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. Buddha didn't die and arise again for people; Mohammed didn't die and arise again for people- Jesus claimed to be God- "I and the Father are one"..."From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised up on the third day." Matthew 16:21.

By God's mercy and grace may I continue to love Him more and more; for there is no other that compares to His love, His kindness, His grace, His tenderness, His powerfulness, His sovereignty, His holiness- Jehovah-tsidkenu, the Lord our righteousness, Jehovah shammah, the Lord is there; Jehovah-shalom, the Prince of Peace, Jehovah-mekoddishkem, the Lord sanctifies you, Jehovah-rapha- the God who heals; Jehovah-jireh= the God who provides, Jehovah- God's being His essence; Adonai Lord and Master, El Roi the God who sees and El Elyon the God most High and the list continues- there is no name above His name. Praise be given to God.